BMW India has launched its third all-electric offering, the i4, in India. The new all-electric sedan will join BMW’s flagship iX SUV and the Mini Cooper SE in India. BMW is launching the new i4 at introductory pricing of INR 69.9 lakh ex-showroom. The introductory pricing of the BMW i4 makes it INR 46 lakh cheaper than the flagship iX model. The model will come to India via the CBU route. As a part of the introductory offer, BMW will also give a complimentary BMW Wallbox charger with installation. BMW says this will enable safe and convenient charging up to 11kW.
The i4 becomes India’s first premium mid-size segment electric sedan with its launch. Additionally, with 590 km of range, the i4 also boasts the longest electric vehicle range in India. BMW also claims to have the widest network of fast chargers in the Indian luxury car segment.
Interested customers can book the new i4 online by visiting the company’s website. BMW says the deliveries of the car will start from the beginning of July 2022.
BMW i4 – Exterior Highlights
The all-electric BMW i4 uses the 4-Series Gran Coupe as its base. As for the platform, it uses a specially-adapted version of the CLAR architecture. Hence, unlike the BMW iX, it is not a ground-up EV. As for the styling, it is similar to the 4-Series Gran Coupe. However, it does get more than a few EV specific design elements. These include a blanked-off grille at the front, aerodynamics-optimised alloy wheels and flush door handles. The car also features a different design for the front and rear bumpers. In India, the BMW i4 will be available in three metallic exterior colours – Black Sapphire, Mineral White and Skyscraper Grey.
For India, the i4 also gets a Sport exterior package as standard. The package brings multiple different design elements. These include the kidney ring in pearl chrome with frozen grey accents and the grill nuggets in quartz silver matt. At the front, the air curtains come in a high gloss black finish. Meanwhile, the rear bumper cover gets a matt black finish and frozen grey accents.
In addition to this, the i4 will also come with an optional M Aerodynamic Kit. The kit includes M aerodynamic bumpers, M elements in high-gloss black and exclusive 18- or 19-inch M light aerodynamic alloy wheels.
BMW i4 – Interior Highlights
The new i4 will get two upholstery options – Sensatec perforated Canberra Beige/Black and Sensatec perforated Cognac. As for the interior trim, it will come with a Fine-wood open-pore oak grain trim. The i4 debuts the curved twin-screen set-up in India for the first time after the BMW iX. The twin screens consist of a 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment display and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The system runs on BMW’s latest iDrive 8 user interface. The new interface also enables over-the-air updates for the i4.
BMW will also offer BMW ConnectedDrive technologies as standard. In addition to this, occupants can also operate various functions using the BMW Virtual Assistant. For added convenience, the i4 also gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The ambient lighting of the i4 also offers six selectable light designs. Other highlights include three-zone climate control, reverse parking assist and a 17-speaker Harmon Kardon Surround Sound System.
As the BMW i4 doesn’t use an EV-specific platform, it does not get a flat floor at the rear. Additionally, the i4 also does not get the free centre console area as on the BMW iX. However, the seats fold down in a 40/20/40 split to provide maximum storage space. Once the seats are down, the boot capacity increases from 470-litres to 1290-litres.
BMW i4 – Battery, Charging & Powertrain
The new BMW i4 will come only in a single variant in India – the eDrive40. Powering the eDrive40 is a rear axle-mounted electric motor. The motor produces a total of 340 HP and 430 Nm of torque. BMW claims a 0 to 100kmph time of 5.7 seconds for this variant. The top speed of the i4 is electronically-limited to 190kmph.
The eDrive40 comes with a floor-mounted lithium-ion battery pack. The total capacity of the battery pack is 83.9 kWh. However, the usable capacity is 80.7 kWh.
The claimed range for the i4 eDrive40 as per the WLTP cycle is 590 km. The model also offers charge rates of up to 205kW. The charging speeds enable the i4 eDrive40 to add 164 km of range in just 10 minutes. The car’s regenerative braking system can also deliver up to 116kW of charge. Using a regular 11kW wall box charger, the i4 charges from 0 to 100 per cent in 8.25 hours.
BMW i4 – Competitors
The new BMW i4 does not have any direct rivals as such. Most of the other manufacturers in India offer electric SUVs in India. The other electric models on sale are the Audi e-Tron and e-Tron Fastback, Mercedes-Benz GLC and the Jaguar i-Pace. Kia will soon launch the EV6 in India, but that does not fit in the luxury car landscape.
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