By March 3rd, 2020, BMW would have already unveiled their future mass-produced electric vehicle. The new BMW i4 – or the i430 and i440 if you go by the latest rumors – will join the small EV family in Munich. And while it’s not a direct i3 replacement, the i4 will likely become the number one target for BMW EV customers.
The BMW i3 was and is a marvelous piece of engineering – carbon fiber construction, smart use of interior space and a practical design – but unfortunately, it always lacked the looks.
With the i4, BMW will change that. Based on accounts from several people who have seen the upcoming BMW i4 Concept, we can now paint a better picture. The exterior design of the car previews the next-generation 4 Series, so it will feature an imposing front-end with the much talked about kidney grille. The grille houses a wide range of sensors, from driving assistance lidars to cameras.
The side view is that of a typical gran coupe, but in the case of the BMW i4 Concept, is more appealing than any other previous BMW gran coupe. The lines form an extremely attractive design that aim to be equally sporty and premium. Unmistakably, the i4 will be easily recognized as a BMW. Contrary to the i3.
The back, despite being in a concept form, will give us a better idea of what to expect in the production series i430 and i440. It’s muscular, sporty and elegant. We’re told that the rear bumper will also get an interesting design to make up for the lack of exhaust pipes.
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Simplicity is the keyword inside. Two large screens – as seen on previous spy photos – will dominate the front row, a trend in the automotive world today. The car will retain the typical BMW controls on the dashboard, but we expect a lot of commands to be issued by voice, gestures and touches.
Just a few months ago, BMW released some of the drivetrain details. For example, one BMW i4 variant will provide 600 km (373 miles) of electric range, calculated on the WLTP cycle. Power output? A whooping 530 horsepower which will rocket the i4 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in about 4 seconds.
BMW will debut the i4 Concept next Monday in Geneva with the production model arriving in 2021. The U.S. market is scheduled to get the new EV in early 2022.