- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
Perm Magnet, LI
- Engine Power
400kW, 795Nm
- Fuel
46h 0m chg, 465km range
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Red'n Gear
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
4/5 star (2022)
2022 BMW i4 M50 review: International first drive
This is it, then. The first-ever electric-powered BMW M model. Given the outstanding pedigree of the German car maker’s performance-orientated internal combustion engine models down through the years, a blue ribbon reputation is riding on the i4 M50.
- Strong performance potential in AWD Boost mode, calm and collected properties in RWD Comfort mode
- Engaging handling and strong grip, despite weighing well over two tons.
- Excellent brake pedal feel by electric car standards
- Styling similarity to 4 Series Gran Coupe
- Packaging of battery compromises rear seat legroom
- Lack of front stowage compartment
Based on the upcoming second-generation 4 Series Gran Coupe, alongside which it is produced at BMW’s manufacturing plant in Munich, the powerful new four-door sedan joins the i3, iX3 and recently-introduced iX in what is set to become a 12-strong line-up of models from BMW’s i electric car sub-brand by the end of 2023.
The $124,900 four-wheel-drive M50 is one of two initial i4 models planned for sale in Australia in 2022. Along with the milder $99,990 rear-wheel-drive eDrive40, it will challenge the Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S, as well as the upcoming Audi A6 E-Tron and Mercedes-Benz EQE, in what is shaping up as an intriguing contest for four-door superiority in the electric car ranks.
BMW wants you to think of the new M model more as an alternative to the newly-announced $115,900 M440i Gran Coupe than a full-blown zero-emission substitute to the $144,900 M3. The truth is, the M50 has more power than either of them
Like the new iX, the i4 is based on a modified version of BMW’s CLAR (Cluster Architecture) platform. It has been heavily modified to accommodate an electric powertrain, including a large battery that is bolted to the floorpan. It acts as a structural element, providing the body with added stiffness and helping to maintain at 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution.
2022 BMW i4 M50 xDrive | |
Seats | Five |
Boot volume | 470L seats up / 1290L seats folded |
Length | 4785mm |
Width | 1852mm |
Height | 1448mm |
Wheelbase | 2856mm |
Styling-wise, the production version is very close to the concept revealed early last year, with traditional cab-backward proportions and only detail changes setting it apart from the 4 Series Grand Coupe.
Included is a blanked off grille housing ultrasonic and radar sensors used for a long list of driver assistant systems, a uniquely styled front bumper with minimal air ducting and thin LED headlamps (adaptive LED and BMW Laserlight are both options) that form a tapered effect within a bold looking front end.
Further back, there are new touch-sensitive door grabs (they’re not handles per se), aerodynamically optimised wheels ranging from a standard 17-in in diameter on the eDrive40 to an optional 20-inches on the M50, a unique rear bumper housing an i4 specific diffuser and, for the range-topping M model, a subtle rear spoiler lip.
Dimensionally, the i4 is 76mm longer, 25mm wider and 6mm higher than the seventh-generation 3 Series sedan at a respective 4785mm, 1852mm and 1448mm. It also rides on a wheelbase that is a marginal 4mm longer than that of BMW’s popular four-door at 2856mm.
By comparison, the Taycan stretches to 4963mm in length, 1966mm in width and 1381mm in height atop a dedicated electric car platform boasting a 2900mm wheelbase.
The decision to stick with the same platform as the new 4 Series Gran Coupe has clearly limited scope with the aerodynamics, resulting in a drag co-efficient that looks quite ordinary next the four-door competition at 0.25.
Inside, the i4 uses a combination of new and existing architecture. As in the iX, there is a free-standing curved display that, for the time being at least, is exclusive to BMW’s electric-powered models. It houses 12.3-in and 14.9-in digital displays for the instruments and infotainment system atop a lightly modified dashboard from the 4 Series Grand Coupe.
It is all controlled via a new eighth-generation iDrive system, which supports a new “Hey BMW” voice activation function as well as a number of new personalisable features that help to make it more user-friendly than the existing seventh-generation system. There is also Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring and a new OTA (Over The Air) function that can update various software via an embedded 4G SIM card.
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Cutting down on the clutter, the air conditioning controls are housed within the Infotainment system, where they’re easily accessed by a permanent icon rather than having to scroll through various menus.
The flagship four-wheel drive i4 M50 xDrive will be joined by the i4 eDrive40 when Australian sales of the new electric powered BMW sedan get underway in 2022.
The rest is typical of more conventional internal combustion engine M models. There’s a thick rim leather-bound multi-function steering wheel, the driving position is quite sporting, albeit not quite as low as we’re perhaps used to on more sporting BMW models, on standard front sports seats that provide plenty of support and electronic adjustability.
A broad centre tunnel runs back through the interior forming the basis of a control panel featuring a rather conventional gear lever, in place of the slider mechanism used by the iX ,along with drive mode controls and a rotary controller for the iDrive system.
Accommodation up front is quite good, though it is compromised in the rear by a raised floor required for the packaging of the battery and a sloping roofline that robs headroom. Boot space, meanwhile, is put at 470 litres, extending to 1290 litres when the split-fold rear seats are stowed.
There is no provision for luggage storage under the bonnet, like in the Taycan. Instead, BMW uses the space to house the air conditioning compressor among other ancillary functions.
The powertrain is the same fifth-generation system used by the iX. In the M50, it consists of two in-house produced synchronous electric motors – one acting on the front axle and another at the rear, each driving through a single speed gearbox with differing ratios.
The front motor produces 190kW and 430Nm, while the rear unit delivers 230kW and 365Nm. The overall system output is put at 400kW and 795Nm, giving the top-of-the-line i4 25kW and a generous 145Nm more than the recently-introduced M4 Competition.
But while the most powerful second-generation M4 weighs 1850kg, the i4 M50 tips the scales at significantly heavier 2215kg.
Electrical energy for the motors is provided by an 80.7kWh (net) lithium-ion battery. It operates at 400 volts and is claimed to provide the new BMW with an overall range of between 416 and 521km on the WLTP test procedure.
The price leading i4 uses a rear-mounted electric motor developing 250kW and 430Nm of torque. It is combined with the same 80.7kWh lithium-ion battery used by its more powerful sibling, giving the i4 eDrive40 a 0-62mph time of 5.7sec, limited 190km/h top speed and a claimed range of between 493 and 590km on the WLTP test cycle.
For perspective, the dual-motor Taycan S delivers up to 420kW and 650Nm ft in combination with a 93.4kWh performance battery at a kerb weight of 2140kg.
The packaging of the battery has required significant modifications to the CLAR platform but with an overall height of just 110mm the steel casing housing its 324 individual cells is quite low in comparison to applications developed by rival car makers. As a result, the i4 boasts a centre of gravity that is claimed to be 53mm lower than that of the standard 3 Series, despite running greater ground clearance.
The suspension uses a combination of steel springs at the front and air springs at the rear – the latter providing self-levelling properties. It is supported by adaptive damping
There is a familiarity about driving the i4 that will no doubt appeal to existing BMW owners. The controls and operation of many interior elements are very similar to those of the German car maker’s combustion engine models.
Key details | 2022 BMW i4 M50 xDrive |
Power Unit | Dual electric motor, 80.7kWh battery pack |
Power | 400kW |
Torque | 795Nm |
Drive type | All-wheel drive |
Transmission | Single-speed automatic |
Power to weight ratio | 188.2kW/t |
Weight (kerb) | 2125kg |
Turning circle | 12.5m |
The throttle calibration is sweetly struck, mating excellent pedal weighting with a good degree of sensitivity. In combination with the responsive nature of the electric motors, this makes for engaging properties even at lower speeds in an urban driving environment in Comfort mode, where the M50 operates almost exclusively in rear-wheel drive using the reserves of its rear electric motor alone.
It is at higher speeds out on the open road, though, where the new electric sedan really comes alive. Here, the powertrain combines the efforts of both the front and rear motors to deliver rapid four-wheel drive performance. Despite being asked to haul well over two tonnes, the i4 proves very rapid when dialled into Boost mode. So configured, it is claimed to hit 100km/h from standstill in just 3.9sec.
This isn’t at quite the same level as the M4 Competition, which hits the traditional benchmark in 3.5sec, owing partly to the inertia required to set the heavy electric-powered BMW into motion, but it is in line with the official 3.8sec claimed by Porsche for the Taycan S. Once it is off the line and the electric motors are spinning within the 8000-17,000rpm range where their peak power is produced, though, the roll-on acceleration is extremely determined on a loaded throttle.
The decision to use single-speed gearing rather than a two-speed set-up like that employed by Porsche on the Taycan brings extremely smooth and linear properties. However, the overall rate of propulsion does begin to trail off as your prevailing speed increases above typical motorway speed limits as rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag builds.
This, together with efforts to protect excessive energy drain on the battery has prompted BMW to limit top speed to 225km/h - 25km/h short of the Taycan S.
Credit for the strong performance not only rests with the powertrain. The fully variable four-wheel drive system also plays a crucial role in the i4’s on-road prowess, providing outstanding traction in combination with the optional 255/30 R20 (front) and 255/30 R20 (rear) Pirelli P Zero tyres fitted to our test car.
The newly developed system is integrated with the chassis control system and also provides a torque vectoring function to individually vary the amount of drive delivered to each of the rear wheels.
The suspension combines the MacPherson strut (front) and multi-link (rear) suspension of other new 4 Series Gran Coupe models with unique rear air springs, variable damping control and 26mm wider front and 12mm wider rear tracks.
Additionally, there are extra bracing elements within the engine bay and at the rear to help stiffen the body structure. The ride height has also increased by 20mm over the combustion engine version of the new four-door.
You don’t get quite the same incisive steering response as other M models but the handling, most notably the way the M50 controls its weight when hustled through a series of challenging corners, is very good. There is an inherent eagerness to the dynamic properties in Sport mode that should appeal to enthusiast drivers.
Much of this can be traced to the excellent balance BMW has achieved with its first truly sporting electric-powered production model.
The four-wheel-drive system is programmed to deliver predominantly rear-wheel-drive qualities via the rear electric motor, and you can feel the torque-vectoring effect of the electronic rear differential in all-out cornering. But with the front electric motor also sending drive to the front wheels any tendency towards oversteer is quickly quelled by the i4’s lightning-fast reaction to wheel slippage.
The result is agreeably neutral characteristics with assured mid-corner purchase and, with all that torque on tap, exceptionally strong drive at the exit.
Predicatably, the ride is quite firm on the optional tyres. However, the combination of conventional coil springs up front and air springs at the rear deliver sufficient spring travel and compliance to ensure it is retains a good level of composure and is rarely harsh.
The new four-door’s battery recuperation system, which harvests kinetic energy when you lift off the throttle or apply the brakes, is controllable through two settings via the gear lever. The standard D (Drive) mode activates adaptive recuperation that varies between coasting and light braking depending on the topography of the road and surrounding traffic, while the B (Battery) mode favours even more heavy braking for maximum energy recuperation.
A menu integrated into the infotainment system allows you to alternate between light, medium and high – the latter providing the basis for one-pedal driving where the i4 pulls up quite smartly all by itself when you lift off.
Brake pedal feel itself is outstanding by electric car standards with an impressive balance between regular friction braking and recuperative braking.
The i4 can charge at a maximum rate of 205kW on a DC system or at 11kW on a household mains AC wallbox system. The former is claimed to provide a battery charge in 31 minutes with the latter said to take over 8 hours in total.
In some markets, customers will receive subscription-free access to Ionity Plus and BP Pulse charging for the first 12 months of ownership, though details of what incentives BMW might introduce in Australia, if any, are yet to be revealed.
The key attractions to the M50 are its strong performance and engaging dynamic ability. It is an electric car that will appeal to those who delight in driving and seeking a sense of sportiness, at least when it is running in Boost mode, where it calls on the substantial performance delivered by combined reserves with tremendous four-wheel drive purchase, proving very quick and engaging on the right road and driving conditions.
The real achievement is that it manages this while being well refined and relaxing when you dial up Comfort and glide along at typical highways speeds in rear-wheel drive exclusively on the power of its rear-mounted electric motor.
This dual character provides the headlining i4 model with broad driving appeal even if it fails to deliver true five-seat accommodation owing to the compromises inherent in BMW’s decision to base it on an existing combustion engine platform rather than a dedicated electric car architecture.