BMW i4 Spied Flexing Muscle - We Won't Say Tesla Killer, So It's Tesla Rival

After Tesla did the hard work for so many years, companies such as Porsche and its Taycan model have joined the effort lately on the performance front, while Volkswagen's imminent ID.3 promises to widen the choices in the capable yet affordable segment of the EV market.

BMW hasn't exactly been holding the headlines in the eco-friendly section of the media despite putting an EV on the market relatively early on in the controversial shape of the i3. Well, all the information we have so far coupled with this spy video of the upcoming i4 seem to indicate that all that's about to change.

The i4 specs are still pretty much in the speculation zone, but unless it wants an upset, BMW should better come out and at least deny them if the real ones aren't nearly as good. So, the bit everyone seems to agree on is that it'll get an 80 kWh battery pack, which seems to fall in the sweet spot that balances maximum range and vehicle weight. The Tesla Model 3 has a 75 kWh one, so 80 makes perfect sense.

There also seems to be consensus on the fact that the i4 will come in both single- and dual-motor setups, with the latter obviously focusing on performance while the former should be a range monster (albeit one with 530 hp). Speaking of range, the very specific value of 374 miles has been touted, which translates into an even more impressive 600 km when converted to the metric system. Quite revolutionary from a company that hasn't impressed so far in this respect, but we'll be fully swept off our feet when it's backed by real-world data.

One area where BMW has been impressing for decades is the dynamic character of its vehicles, and this clip shows the i4 will not disappoint. The driver gets a bit anxious and steps on the accelerator pedal a few feet before the 30 km/h zone ended, and those feet seem to fly by in an instant. It's hard to tell if we're looking at a single- or dual-motor i4, but judging by the vehicle's handling, I'd say it's the former.

The next few passes show the i4 driving tamely on a few secondary roads through the countryside and in the mountains, but sadly there's no other display of the EV's acceleration capabilities. However, if the numbers we have so far hold and BMW manages to keep the price for the base version in the region of $50,000 (more than the Model 3, considerably less than the Taycan), we'll definitely have a new Tesla rival on the market. Though it's really the electric Porsche that has more reasons to worry.