Presented as a concept in March, the long-rumored i4 will transition to a production vehicle in 2021 with a single electric motor driving the rear wheels. It remains to be seen if a dual-motor option will join the lineup, but one thing is certain. According to BMW M head honcho Markus Flasch, the i4 M Performance is definitely going to happen.
Although it’s hard to tell for certain, the pre-production prototype in the photo gallery appears to be the performance-oriented model thanks to blue-painted brake calipers with the M/// logo deleted. It’s also hard to ignore how similar this test mule is to the 4 Series Gran Coupe, due to be launched in 2021 under the G24 codename.
Don’t be fooled by the camouflage up front; the oversized snout of the 4 Series will carry over to the i4 as you already know from the concept car. Because it rides on the CLAR platform, it wouldn't come as a surprise if the interior carries over as well.
It’s important to highlight that BMW M won’t apply the full-on M treatment. The M3 and M4 are much obliged to offer 510 PS (503 horsepower) and xDrive with rear-wheel-drive mode in Competition flavor. The rear-wheel-drive Concept i4 is rated at 530 PS or 523 horsepower, translating to 4.0 seconds to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) compared to 3.9 seconds for the internal combustion-engined models.
The Bavarian automaker utilizes fifth-generation eDrive technology for the drivetrain of the i4, revolving around an efficient but powerful e-motor and a lithium-ion battery with “an energy content of around 80 kWh.” In this configuration, BMW promises “an operating range of up to 600 kilometers (373 miles) in the WLTP testing cycle.”
As for production, Munich is where the i4 will be made on the same assembly line as combustion-engined cars and PHEVs. In total, BMW will invest 200 million euros in Plant Munich to bring series production of the i4 to fruition.
Don’t be fooled by the camouflage up front; the oversized snout of the 4 Series will carry over to the i4 as you already know from the concept car. Because it rides on the CLAR platform, it wouldn't come as a surprise if the interior carries over as well.
It’s important to highlight that BMW M won’t apply the full-on M treatment. The M3 and M4 are much obliged to offer 510 PS (503 horsepower) and xDrive with rear-wheel-drive mode in Competition flavor. The rear-wheel-drive Concept i4 is rated at 530 PS or 523 horsepower, translating to 4.0 seconds to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) compared to 3.9 seconds for the internal combustion-engined models.
The Bavarian automaker utilizes fifth-generation eDrive technology for the drivetrain of the i4, revolving around an efficient but powerful e-motor and a lithium-ion battery with “an energy content of around 80 kWh.” In this configuration, BMW promises “an operating range of up to 600 kilometers (373 miles) in the WLTP testing cycle.”
As for production, Munich is where the i4 will be made on the same assembly line as combustion-engined cars and PHEVs. In total, BMW will invest 200 million euros in Plant Munich to bring series production of the i4 to fruition.