The first BMW electric sedan will arrive in early 2022. The i4 is built upon the four-door 4 Series Gran Coupe and is BMW’s first attempt to fully take on Tesla and its Model 3. To be successful in a very competitive segment, the i4 will bring no less than three variants to the table – two rear-wheel drive and an xDrive. The entry level i4 is called the BMW i435 and has a rear-wheel drive and around 280 horsepower. The pricing has yet to be set, but we expect it to be priced similar to the base i3 – in the high $40,000 range.
Next on the list is the BMW i440, basically a more premium version of the i435, but with the same rear-wheel drive setup. The power output is certainly higher with around 330 horsepower to be delivered by the electric motor. A boost option might offer even more power over a short period of time. Again, no official pricing point on this one, but we anticipate a figure in the high $50,000 in the United States.
The top of the line BMW i4 is tuned by the M division. This comes as no surprise as BMW M CEO Markus Flasch has already confirmed that. The model will be sold under the BMW i4 M50 badge and compared to the other two models, this one has two motors. Therefore, the i4 M50 will be the only 4 Series electric with an all-wheel drive (xDrive) setup. The power figures of the i4 M50 are likely to fall between 450 and 460 horsepower. Same as the i440, a boost option could offer a higher power output for a few seconds at a time.
Visually, the BMW i4 M50 will have plenty of M bits, as you’d expect from an M Performance Automobile. The front fascia will be slightly more aggressive than the i440, there will also be bigger brakes and wheels, and a rear spoiler. We expect to see some M touches inside the cabin as well. Of course, BMW will offer the i4 M50 at a higher price tag, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see a $10,000 – $15,000 markup over the rear-wheel drive i440.
The production plans call for two models at market launch – the i440 and i4 M50. The base model i435 is expected to launch at a later date.
