Up entrance, the i4 encompasses a distinctive grille with the identical self-healing tech discovered on the iX SUV. Small rock chips and scratches disappear from the shiny floor after a number of heat days or a couple of minutes uncovered to a hair dryer. Break out the measuring tape and you will observe that the i4 M50 is 0.2-inch taller than the M440i with a 0.1-inch wider entrance monitor — barely any distinction in any respect. That sounds easy sufficient, however is definitely fairly outstanding contemplating BMW has crammed an 83.9-kWh battery into the low-slung, coupe-like silhouette.The battery lives below the i4’s ground, which prices it a little bit of cabin area however, once more, not an excessive amount of. The greatest modifications are 0.4-inch much less headroom (36.6 inches) and 0.7-inch much less legroom (34.2 inches) on the second row and a lower to 10 cubic toes of trunk capability (down from 16.6 cubes) due a lack of area below the load ground. Space above the ground is almost equivalent and the i4 M50 retains its 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat, so most homeowners in all probability would not discover when loading objects into the ability liftback.Range and chargingThe i4 even makes use of the identical gasoline door because the combustion-powered 4 Series — look intently and you’ll even see the spot the place the fuel cap goes when filling — however as an alternative of a filler neck, there is a mixed charging system port. Connected to an 11-kilowatt AC charger (Level 2), the 80.7-kWh of usable capability (the remainder is reserved) is restored in round 8.25 hours. At a 200-kW DC quick charger, the battery will be quickly charged from 10 to 80% full optimally in round 31 minutes. That cost time syncs properly with the 2 years of complimentary 30-min charging classes with Electrify America that BMW contains for brand spanking new i4 homeowners. Of course, there are faster-charging EVs round, however till 200-kW-plus stations are rather more widespread, the BMW’s fast sufficient.
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If you are actually in a rush, the i4 M50 can add 97 miles of vary in simply 10 minutes at a 200-kW charger. Antuan Goodwin/CNET CarsSadly, the i4 has no entrance trunk — normally a pleasant bonus function on purpose-built electrical automobiles — so you may need to retailer the transportable charging cable within the trunk. However, in contrast to BMW’s iX SUV, the Gran Coupe’s hood will be opened by the proprietor. Though, there’s not a lot below there to see apart from a big plastic cowl hiding the electrical {hardware} and two filler caps for wiper fluid and coolant.The M50 efficiency variant of the i4 comes normal with 19-inch double-spoke M wheels, however my instance upgrades to 20-inch wheels with staggered high-performance Pirelli P Zero tires — 255/35 R20 within the entrance with 285/30 R20 rears. This change impacts the look of the sedan, its dealing with and, extra importantly, the vary. On the usual 19s, homeowners can anticipate as much as 270 miles of vary per cost. With the stickier, heavier 20-inch wheels and tires, that estimate drops to 227 miles. That’s nonetheless a snug quantity of vary for commuting and a little bit of B-road enjoyable, however frequent road-trippers seeking to roam additional ought to think about the much less highly effective, 282- to 301-mile i4 eDrive40 configuration.During my week of testing the i4 M50 on the 20-inch wheels, I by no means charged previous 80%, recharged as soon as effectively earlier than empty to check charging pace, and spent most of my time in Sport mode. After round 175 miles traveled in complete, the journey laptop reported a mean of two.6 miles per kWh used, barely higher than the EPA’s transformed estimate of two.4 miles per kWh.xDrive electrical all-wheel driveThe i4 M50 upgrades to a dual-motor xDrive electrical all-wheel drive setup. Powering the entrance axle is a 190-kilowatt motor; the rear wheels share a 230-kW unit. Total output climbs to 536 hp, which is a good bit greater than the eDrive40’s 335 hp. The four-door coupe will scramble from 0 to 60 mph in simply 3.7 seconds with its Sport Boost mode taking full benefit of the 586 pound-feet of instantaneous torque.Going from 0 to 60 in 3.7 seconds appears good on paper, however the best way the i4 M50 effortlessly surges ahead as you roll onto the accelerator needs to be skilled to actually be appreciated. It’s a very totally different type of thrill trip than even the M4 Competition xDrive Coupe’s 3.4-second dash. There’s no drama, no wheelspin and even a lot sound in any respect, save for the whoosh of the wind and rumble of the tires — solely pure, eye-popping acceleration because the i4 M50 rockets ahead like a bullet practice.Silent by default, the M50 options M-specific variations of BMW’s Iconic Sounds — generated sound performed by way of the cabin audio system in live performance with acceleration or deceleration. I’m normally not a fan of faux engine noise, however I discovered the M50’s Sport sound theme to be a pleasing, surprisingly participating rendition of a futuristic combustion engine. Designed by movie composer Hans Zimmer and BMW Creative Sound Director Renzo Vitale, the system makes use of overlapping Shepard tones to create a way of continually rising urgency because the i4 builds pace.In addition to customizing the sound, I used to be additionally in a position to tweak the efficiency of the i4 M50 by way of drive and regeneration modes. The EV options Eco Pro, Sport Boost, Comfort and Individual drive modes, that are toggled immediately by way of a devoted bodily buttons. There are additionally a number of regeneration modes beginning with the default Adaptive setting that makes use of the gap to the automobile forward, navigation information and the battery’s state of cost to find out how a lot regen to use each time the throttle is lifted. This ought to internet you probably the most environment friendly vitality recapture, however I discovered it inconsistent and, at worst, tough to foretell, to not point out jerky. I choose to decide on one of many static regen modes: low, medium or excessive. Disable low-speed creep in a menu to allow one-pedal driving the place the i4 can gradual to a cease with out touching the brake pedal — my favourite EV braking methodology general.
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The M50 comes normal with darkish Shadowline trim and aerodynamic bits. Carbon-fiber trim is non-compulsory. Antuan Goodwin/CNET CarsThe i4 M50 additionally options normal M Sport bodily brakes that work effectively in tandem with the regeneration system throughout dynamic driving and arduous stops. The remainder of the dealing with division is manned by the usual Adaptive M Suspension with electronically managed dampers and variable sport steering. BMW’s engineers have nailed the M50’s driving dynamics. The EV is about 850 kilos heavier than the M440i xDrive, and that weight makes itself obvious on switchbacks and serpentine mountain roads. Still, the chassis nonetheless feels well-balanced; the brand new 48:52 front-to-rear weight distribution is definitely reversed relative to the marginally nose-heavy M440i, which makes the steering really feel lighter and extra playful, whereas retaining a pleasant fingertip really feel. (At least, it does in Sport mode; the Comfort steering setting feels a bit numb and overly mild for my style.)BMW iDrive 8.0The i4 makes use of, basically, the identical iDrive 8.0 software program and {hardware} because the iX however tucks that tech into the 4 Series’ extra standard cockpit. That seemingly small distinction makes the i4 M50 a lot simpler to stay with than its extra extremely designed, minimalist sibling. For starters, the i4 options many extra bodily buttons and knobs on its dashboard and heart console. The console itself sits nearer to the sprint and steering wheel for a neater attain when it is time to, say, pop into Sport mode, and there is much less general reliance on the touchscreen for easy duties.
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The i4 slots iDrive 8.0 tech right into a extra standard dashboard and console. Antuan Goodwin/CNET CarsThere are nonetheless massive, vivid screens to take pleasure in. The i4 options the identical 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and curved 14.9-inch central contact show powered by its user-customizable iDrive software program. As with the iX, I’m not a fan of the icon-heavy most important menu with its grid of effectively over 30 little icons that may be tough to navigate, scroll and exactly poke whereas driving. Thankfully, the icons will be reorganized for quicker navigation and there is additionally a shortcut menu that may be populated along with your eight mostly used capabilities, accessible at any time by way of a swipe from the highest of the display. Alternative management strategies — together with BMW’s bodily iDrive management wheel on the middle console, “Hey BMW” hot-word voice enter and search and air gestures — give the motive force much more flexibility and freedom from reaching over to the display. Take the time to set it as much as your wants and iDrive 8.0 turns into pretty simple to navigate, however that first week’s studying curve is a steep one.One of iDrive 8.0’s greatest benefits is its always-on BMW Connected companies and telematics information connection. This permits options like utilizing your cellphone as a key, remotely monitoring the EV whereas charging or sending locations to the automobile earlier than hitting the street, however these superior distant options — in addition to plenty of in-vehicle options like clever voice assistant instructions — require a BMW User account and an lively information subscription. Alternatively, customers can benefit from normal Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity to energy their maps and media with their cellphone. Both applied sciences help wired and wi-fi connectivity and have the newest generations of their respective quick pairing tech for extra seamless setup. Around the cabin, passengers will discover three USB Type-C charging ports (two on the second row and one within the heart console), a single USB Type-An information port for media playback or cellphone connections and an non-compulsory wi-fi cellphone charger on the base of the dashboard.
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You can pop the i4’s hood, however there’s not a lot to see or service. Antuan Goodwin/CNET CarsDriver-aid techBMW’s normal suite of driver help applied sciences persists right here, inherited from the gasoline 4 Series. There’s normal adaptive cruise management, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring and ahead collision warning with automated metropolis pace braking. Also normal are a rear-view digital camera and automated excessive beams. The electrical i4 additionally provides low-speed pedestrian safety exterior sound era to the 4 Series’ bag of tips.My instance upgrades with a $700 Parking Assistance Package that provides a encompass view digital camera, entrance and rear parking distance sensors and Parking Assistant Plus hands-free parallel and perpendicular parking help. Additionally, the field was checked for the $1,700 Driving Assistance Professional Package, which upgrades to lane-keeping steering help, provides plenty of evasive and cross-traffic steering help applied sciences and contains Traffic Jam Steering Assistant. This function permits hands-free steering in low-speed (beneath 40 mph) visitors. It’s a neat occasion trick, however contemplating the restrictive pace limitation — which results in virtually always handing management backwards and forwards in all however probably the most gridlocked jams — I do not suppose it is price the price of entry.Pricing and competitorsThe 2023 BMW i4 M50 begins at $68,295 together with the $995 vacation spot cost. That’s $11,400 greater than the i4 eDrive40 which lots of CNET Cars’ employees suppose is the sweeter spot within the lineup, with higher worth, glorious efficiency and higher vary, but it surely’s arduous to argue with extra energy and pace — i4 M50 is a hoot and a half, so go forward and deal with your self. That mentioned, the BMW can also be one of many priciest fashions in a category that features the Tesla Model 3 Performance beginning round $64,190 and the $58,800 Polestar 2 with Performance Pack, however the barely bigger i4 considerably justifies its greater worth with the next stage of luxurious, match and end. With choices and shut to completely loaded, my instance arrived carrying an $84,370 price ticket.Unlike the iX, the BMW i4 shouldn’t be a purpose-built EV, so I anticipated the i4 to be stuffed with compromises that include cramming an enormous battery into an ICE platform. On the street, I used to be pleasantly shocked by how seamlessly and naturally the 4 Series Gran Coupe has dealt with the transition to full-electric. The i4 M50 is now my favourite model of this 4 Series chassis and some of the enjoyable electrical automobiles I’ve pushed this 12 months.