BMW i4 review: A blast to drive, but more coming

We have finally hit something of a milestone in the production of electric cars – we’ve got good ones.

Well, ok, sure there have been decent electric cars out there up to now – decent in terms of fit and finish, looks and performance. But – and this is a very big but – few enough of them have had either the necessary range to make life simple or the charging capacity to make them worthwhile.

Indeed the whole automotive electrification thing has been alike a 14-hour operation on your big toe: something that appeared to be simple, instead turned out to be rather more complex than anyone envisioned. And when you throw in added difficulties like the global computer chip shortage, the whole journey has been a lot more tedious than it should have been.

In essence it’s like waiting for the cliched number 16 bus all morning and then three of the come at the same time.

Maybe it was always preordained that we’d have to wait a while for electric cars that don’t tax you mentally, physically, or financially. In terms of the former two of those, the problems have been slow to get sorted; the issue of the latter still remains to be ascertained.

In terms of good, worthy electrics, however, it is only now we are getting to the point where the cream has risen to the top and, in the case of this week’s tester the BMW i4 eDrive40, a car that has sufficient range, startling performance and the sort of premium-ness you expect from the Munich giant.

There are motors you come across every now and then in this gig that impress you the second you clap eyes on them. The i4 was certainly such a car. Its’ svelte looks and exterior styling which is every bit as aggressive as any ICE (especially the car BMW has produced might be one thing, but the way this beast goes about its business is very noteworthy indeed.

Indeed the look of a car – while very important – is only part of the deal and the manner in which it drives is the other end of the equation. In this case, the i4 fulfils both requirements. In fact, the manner in which it drives is probably even more impressive that the way it looks.

Now the i4, technically, is a five door, five seat fastback and this, in essence it is an electric version of the 4 Series Grand Coupe and so the styling will be familiar to anyone who’s had experience of that car. 

The hatchback format might throw people expecting a more sporty-orientated mode of transport, but the ‘hatch’ end of the design has been very cleverly thought out and it is something of a surprise to most people that when you open the ‘boot’ it is actually a hatch.

Also something of a surprise is a sheer pace of this thing. ‘Real’ petrolheads might veer towards something like the M440i with its brilliant straight six engine, but when you look at what the i4 offers in terms of pace, it actually – and perhaps for the first time in our experience – makes you really think the electric might be a viable alternative.

The 0-100 km/h time is 5.7 seconds and the top speed is 250 km/h, so you can see it’s no slouch. But if the figures on paper look impressive, the reality is much more visceral. Acceleration is both instant and unremitting, which is great, but the thing that really get you is the smoothness of the whole thing. This really is a velveteen machine.

BMW claim a range of around 590 km for the i4 but, as ever, the way you drive it will dictate how far you get in it. Realistically then, the range is more of the order of 515 km, but even the curmudgeons among you would admit that this is very workable and will get you pretty much anywhere on this island and come close to getting you back as well.

While this car does without the fancy dan part carbon construction of the iX we tried not so long ago, but it does take full advantage of BMW’s Gen5 electric technology, That means it has a clever electro-magnetic motor and up-to-the-minute high-density batteries and the system output is 340 bhp with the power being sent to the rear wheels.

With some 430 Nm of torque on offer, this means that the car is a lot of fun to drive, if you’re brave enough to exploit it. Indeed, in many ways this is a classic BMW in terms of driving traits as it is playful at the limit and offers the opportunity for tail-out motoring if you feel that way inclined. In fact it is a blast to drive.

I did have a passenger with me for one long drive I took in the car (hello Jean) and I think it fair to say she was not particularly relishing the experience as reputational questions about the driver might have coloured her opinion. But, despite bracing herself firmly in the death seat, she never once had a lairy moment and quite enjoyed her i4 encounter.

Part of the reason for that is the manner in which the car comports itself on the road. Not only is the ride outstanding, but the handling balance is close to perfection, even on some of the things that are classed as roads in this country. Those traits, combined with the grunt on offer, make for a car which is singularly pleasant to drive or be driven in.

And what of the creature comforts? Well, again BMW has excelled here. If the i4 look a lot like its’ ICE counterpart on the outside, then much has changed inside. The Operating System 8 software is among the best we’ve encountered. The manufacturer has taken the latest generation infotainment technology straight from the iX and it is outstanding to live and work with.

Sweeping across two-thirds of the dash, it comprises of a 12.3” instrumentation screen in front of the driver and a 14.9” touchscreen in the centre of the dash. Not alone is the design eye-catching, but it’s a doddle to use.

Purists might cavil at the engineered soundtrack (brought to fruition in tandem with sonic maestro Hans Zimmer) which is available in Comfort or Sport modes, but then they can always turn it off if it offends their senses that much.

Some might also point out that this is not the roomiest vehicle ever made, but then it is a fastback and you have to make allowances. The front seating is fantastic and so too the rear, if head and leg room are on the tight side.

The i4 came very close to receiving a very rare five-star rating from Examiner Motoring and that will give you an idea of just how impressive this this really is. But, on the basis that there is more to come from BMW on the electrification front – and a lot of that coming down the tracks in short order – it only gets a four-star badge.

This is a really good car, but you suspect that there’s a lot more coming from BMW and if this is just a foretaste of that, then bring it on.