BMW is taking advantage of the Beijing Motor Show to present the restyling of its 100% electric sedan, the i4. For the occasion, the electric car receives a new version which slots between the 340 hp eDrive40 and the thunderous 544 hp M50. This is the BMW i4 xDrive40.
There was a time when the Geneva Motor Show was a sort of high mass for the presentation of new products. Today, the Geneva Motor Show pales in comparison to what is happening on the other side of the world. Indeed, on the side of Beijing, whose motor show will open its doors tomorrow, new products are present in spades, and even the European manufacturers are playing the game, in the hope of overshadowing the local manufacturers while powerful in China.
The BMW group has chosen Beijing to present two important new products. First of all, the Mini Aceman, a 100% electric SUV which shares a few elements with the Countryman. At the same time, BMW is taking the opportunity to present a restyling of its electric sedan, the BMW i4, the most serious competitor to the Tesla Model 3 in our eyes. And that’s good, the Model 3 having also recently been restyled, the match could be interesting between the two models.
Everything’s in the details
Aesthetically, as you can see in the photos, the changes are minor. This is rather good news in itself considering that the i4 is quite a nice car. A trained eye will, however, be able to distinguish the “old” from the “new”, since the grille has been slightly revised while the light signature, as is often the case with restylings, is also new.
We thus notice that the headlights have two vertical lines illuminated as a daytime running light guide at the front. At the rear, the optics are redder and, for the first time on the i4, customers can choose a Laser option. But pay attention to the bill if they need to be replaced! Two new colors are also included in the catalog, as are new 19 or 20-inch rims. The dimensions are unchanged compared to the models we have already tried, with 4.78 meters long, 1.85 meters wide and 1.44 meters high.
Will the interior be more differentiated from the old version? The answer is no. You probably immediately noticed the presence of the double curved slab, with a 12.3-inch screen under the driver’s eyes and another, touchscreen, of 14.9 inches. The advantage of the dual screen is that it erases the majority of physical controls. The downside is that the ergonomics sometimes become a little more complicated and we noted this in our testing of the car on several occasions.
There are, however, some new features, starting with the steering wheel receiving a flattened area at the bottom, while the central air vents are illuminated. New upholstery and new inserts complete the whole thing. It is still possible to use the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functions, and the car has several USB ports at the front and rear, and induction charging for smartphones. The system has also been upgraded to BMW OS 8.5.
Concerning driving aids, there are no big changes. We therefore find a plethora of driving assistance such as adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, lane centering, 360-degree camera, blind spot monitoring and even automatic emergency braking. Enough to make it an electric car equipped with level 2 semi-autonomous driving.
An interesting new version arrives in the catalog
You will have understood, so far, there is not much new stuff. To find the real novelty, you have to look at the engines. Until now, the BMW i4 range was composed like this:
- BMW i4 eDrive35: propulsion, 286 hp, range of 386 to 500 km
- BMW i4 eDrive40: propulsion, 340 hp, range of 468 to 589 km
- BMW i4 M50 xDrive: all-wheel drive, 544 hp, range of 413 to 522 km
As you probably noticed the presence of a hole between the 340 hp version and the 544 version? Here he is now filled with a new xDrive40 version with 401 hp, four-wheel drive (thanks to two electric motors) for a range which varies from 444 to 548 km depending on equipment. This version competes head-on with the Tesla Model 3 Grande Autonomie (up to 629 km of WLTP autonomy).
If the eDrive40, xDrive40 and M50 models are entitled to a battery with a capacity of 83.9 kWhthe BMW i4 eDrive35 will be content with 70.2 kWh (66 kWh in net capacity). Autonomy is improved, reaching 600 km in the eDrive40 version. A small gain always good to take. Charging goes up to 11 kW in AC and 205 kW in DC (180 kW for the eDrive35).
Orders for the facelifted i4 will open in July and prices will be known within a few weeks. As a reminder, the BMW i4 eDrive35 started from 57,550 euros, or around 10,000 euros more than a Tesla Model 3 Grande Autonomie and 18,000 euros more than a Propulsion version whose price has just fallen in France.
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