While it’s easy to mistake it for a 4 Series Gran Coupe with a battery, the i4 is so much more than a mere EV conversion.

Beneath its sleek silhouette lies a purpose-built electric platform that stakes its claim as a true driver’s car.

Does It Drive Like A BMW?

BMW went back to the drawing board for the i4, tweaking the floor, suspension, and even the seats to fit the electric drivetrain seamlessly. 

The eDrive35 comes with 282bhp and 400Nm of torque, giving you a century sprint time of six seconds flat.

It’s quick, and the steering is accurate, but it’s also a bit too… sterile. Even switching to the sportier settings doesn’t add the kind of visceral connection BMW enthusiasts might crave.

You will definitely round the corner the same way a 4 Series can, but will you have a smile on your face afterwards?

BMW’s one-pedal driving system is a mixed bag too. While the regenerative braking system delivers up to 265bhp of deceleration, it puts a lot of responsibility on your right foot. You can switch to the brake pedal, but the pedal itself is sharp and lacks progressive feedback.

Ironically, sticking to one-pedal mode often feels smoother and more intuitive, even if it takes some getting used to.

Something About Its Range…

The i4 eDrive35 has an interesting range conundrum. On paper BMW claims it can do 483km, but in my testing I could only irk out a theoretical maximum of 320km, even with careful driving. Once you drop past 70%, the range plummets quite drastically, so have a charger handy on your commute route.

On that note, the i4 supports up to 180kW charging, meaning you can go from flat to 80% in about 35 minutes. Just enough time for a coffee and a sandwich.  

Modern, But Not Overwhelming  

The BMW i4 greets you with a cabin that’s unmistakably BMW; refined, snug, and generally well built.

The frameless doors are a lovely touch, adding a hint of coupe elegance. The dual curved screens offer crisp graphics and deep integration with your smartphone. 

However, BMW has ditched many of its physical shortcut buttons in favour of touch controls, so adjusting driver aids or other settings on the fly can feel more distracting than intuitive.  

The seats are another area where function slightly outweighs form. They’re comfortable and supportive, but the leather feels a bit too firm, and you might wish for bigger bolsters when taking on sharp corners.  

Despite its coupe-like silhouette, the i4 offers a 470-litre boot, expandable to 1,290 litres with the seats folded flat. It beats the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2 in sheer cargo space, but don’t expect luxury for rear-seat passengers.

The floor isn’t flat, thanks to the central tunnel housing the EV’s cabling, and foot space can feel a little tight.  

The Sweet Spot Of Electric Driving

The BMW i4 eDrive35 might not have the headline-grabbing performance of the M50, but it doesn’t need to. It’s a car that excels where it matters most – everyday usability, driving pleasure, and that quintessential BMW charm.  

It’s not trying to be a spaceship; it’s just a proper BMW with an electric heart.

Technical Specifications

BMW i4 eDrive35 M Sport

Engine: Single Electric Motor
Drivetrain: Rear-Wheel Drive
Power: 210 kW (282 bhp)
Torque: 400 Nm
Gearbox: Single-Speed (A)
0-100km/h: 6 seconds (claimed)
Top Speed: 190 km/h
Battery Capacity: 67.1 kWh
Drive Range: 483 km (claimed)
Energy Consumption: 5.15 km/kWh (claimed)

Price: S$328,888 with COE (accurate at the time of this article)

Contact: Performance Motors / Eurokars Auto

Photo Credits: Sean Loo (@auto.driven)

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV and on TikTok!

Think of this BMW i4 as an electric 4 Series four-door coupé and BMW’s tagline “the first-ever fully-electric Gran Coupé” makes sense. What you see here is the “entry-level” model called eDrive35, with the i4 M50 sitting above it. So, what does this i4 Gran Coupé (GC in short from now on) compete with in the Singapore market?

Nothing.

Nothing from Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Nothing from the Swedes. Nothing from the Japanese, Koreans and Chinese. Nothing. All the other electric vehicles (EVs) in its price segment are SUVs, leaving the i4 GC in a very unique position both in terms of market positioning and vehicle type.

Outside

The enlarged (some might say engorged) kidney grille has been debated ad nauseam both online and in print. Truth be told, I never once noticed it during my test drive, only in pictures while writing this review. I guess it’s offset by the design elements around it such as the sculpted front bumper, grilles and slim headlights to where one knows it’s there but doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb – even when outlined in electric blue. Naise!

245/40R19 and 255/40R19 Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 tyres wrap 19-inch rims in a staggered configuration front and rear respectively, and do a good job of both gripping well and remaining quiet over most types of tarmac.

Even though the test car did not come with adaptive dampers, this was still fine since the fixed-rate items – though noticeably sportily sprung – did a bang-up job of keeping the ride relatively smooth and soaking up most bumps very well. You won’t hear a peep outta me about how smaller rims with thicker-sidewall’d tyres would ride better.

Further espousing its green credentials is an electric blue hockey-stick motif on either side of the i4 GC which plays well with the test car’s darker grey colour and accentuates the side profile’s appearance cohesively.

Add to that the sloping roof line of the “Gran Coupé” and you have one very sharp-looking EV indeed.

The electric blue accents carry on to the rear diffuser, surrounding the area where exhaust pipes would be present in an internal combustion engine vehicle, further calling out the i4 GC’s green credentials.

Its rump is certainly a sight to behold. Curves play with chiselled edges and swooping taillights to combine into one gorgeous-looking package. Mmmmm…..

Inside

Click a button on the key fob or the boot lid and the liftback-type tailgate electrically swings open to reveal a very usable 470-litres of luggage capacity.

Need more? Drop the rear seatbacks and up to 1,290-litres of load-lugging space is made available.

One needs to take note of the sloping roofline while getting into the rear seats. With the driver’s seat in my preferred seating position (at 1.82-meters tall with longer limbs and shorter torso) I can just about sit behind myself but for shorter journeys of up to 30 minutes. Headroom is fine as well, and most people back here shouldn’t have an issue with needing to slouch.

The seats themselves are comfy and supportive, and three-zone climate control means that rear occupants can set their preferred temperature. Two USB Type-C ports are available to keep mobile devices charged. A fold-down centre armrest features two cupholders for refreshing beverages on longer journeys.

The front sports seats are electrically adjustable, with memory on the driver’s side. BMW sure knows how to make supportive sports seats, for the driver’s seat cosseted and supported me very well during my 500+km test drive.

I did, however, find myself wishing that the i4 GC came with a sunroof, for natural light streaming into the cabin would have helped it feel more airy.

The leather-wrapped sports steering wheel is of a good size and feels natural to hold, being adjustable for reach and rake. Physical buttons and thumbwheels allow adjustments to the standard cruise control, and audio, telephony and instrument cluster functions on the left and right spokes respectively. They’re logically laid out and easy to get to grips with.

The instrument screen forms part of BMW’s Curved Display. Measuring in at 12.3-inches, it can be customised to display myriad information from navigation to energy consumption.

At first glance, it may appear busy, but after a few minutes, one finds that it is bright, intuitive and easy to read.

Follow the swoop of BMW’s Curved Display to the left and one finds the 14.9-inch infotainment screen featuring iDrive 8. Again, at first glance, it may appear busy and somewhat daunting, but spend a few minutes playing with it and I promise you’ll find it intuitive to use. The main screen can be customised with widgets to display various information from the weather to the chosen audio source. Further customization such as the mood lighting’s colour and brightness is also done from iDrive 8.

And yes, it has touchscreen climate control. I found that by setting the system to Auto, and simply adjusting the temperature through the lower bar on the touchscreen, things worked really well. Voice commands can also be issued to adjust the climate control.

The BMW i4 GC comes with Harman Kardon Surround Sound System, and this too can be tinkered with and EQ’d via the respective screen in iDrive 8. It sounds very decent and was able to handle a variety of audio, from Ludovico Einaudi’s Divenire to Prodigy’s Smack My B***h Up to a nearly four-hour-long podcast.

Driving

Visibility out of the BMW i4 GC is good, and it was easy to place this EV in one’s desired direction. Steering is a bit on the sharp side, so take it easy the first time out. The turning circle was also a little wider than expected, meaning the i4 GC had to be placed further outside to U-turn onto the up and down ramps in my estate’s multistorey carpark, which was a little surprising.

Reversing into parking spots is also easy with BMW’s Parking Assistant displaying the reverse camera and distance markers on the infotainment screen with audible beeps.

On the move, things are calm and serene.. until one puts their foot down. 286hp and 400Nm of torque may not sound like much, but with pretty much instant availability, point and squirt manoeuvres become a cinch for overtaking and merging onto highways.

Speaking of the latter, the BMW i4 GC was given a proper squirt to merge onto a highway in damp conditions, and the rear end went slightly squirrely for a split second while traversing lane markings. Traction control, however, quickly and seamlessly got things back in shape.

In other words, it drives like a BMW should. It’s pretty keen to take corners and will work with you to rotate the rear end to get the nose pointed in the intended direction of travel.

Not only is the i4 GC quick, but relatively frugal as well. Over a test-driven 521.8km, the calculated average energy consumption was 14.3kWh/100km or 7.0km/kWh, which handily beat BMW’s claimed 19.3kWh/100km or 5.18km/kWh figure.

Naturally, your mileage may vary based on use-case and driving conditions, but it appears that one simply needs to drive smoothly and sensibly, not slowly, and good economy is possible to achieve.

Charging the i4 GC’s 67kW battery pack is also a straightforward affair, be it with AC or DC.

A maximum of 180kW DC charging is supported, and BMW says that the 10-80% DC charge time is 32 minutes. My own experience with a 100kW DC charger suggests that this is pretty accurate.

All in all, the BMW i4 GC is a unique EV that makes a statement that, currently, no other car manufacturer does. It’s sleek, sharp-looking, enjoyable to drive and pretty easy to live with.

It can be frugal during the daily doldrums of road travel and put a smile on one’s face when the loud pedal is prodded to the metal. Folks, it’s seriously worth a good look.

Photo Credits: Sean Loo (@auto.driven)

Technical Specifications

BMW i4 Gran Coupé eDrive35
Power: 286hp
Torque: 400Nm
Drive: Rear wheels
Battery: 67kW
Estimated Range (WLTP): up to 483km (claimed)
0-100km/h: 6.0 seconds (claimed)
Top Speed: 190km/h (claimed)
Energy Economy: 19.3kWh/100km or 5.18km/kWh (claimed)
Price: S$342,888 with COE (accurate at the time of this article)
Contact: BMW Singapore

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV!

BMW Group Asia embarked on its electrification journey in 2014, introducing the BMW i3 and i8 models. Fast forward nine years and five generations of BMW eDrive technology, and the company is expanding its lineup of fully electric vehicles (EVs) with the new BMW i4 eDrive35.

According to Mr. Lars Nielsen, Managing Director of BMW Group Asia, the BMW i4 brings electrification to the heart of the BMW brand, offering practicality, performance, and poise in a sustainable package. As Singapore’s charging infrastructure develops and more EV options become available, electromobility is gaining traction in the country.

The new BMW i4 eDrive35 joins the existing BMW i4 family, which includes the highly successful BMW i4 M50 and BMW i4 eDrive40. Packed with the latest technology, including an efficient electric powertrain and the BMW Curved Display with Operating System 8, the BMW i4 eDrive35 is sure to impress as it hits the roads here.

Produced at the BMW Group Munich plant, the new BMW i4 eDrive35 contributes to the company’s commitment to electric mobility. By 2023, 50% of the total production volume at the plant will be dedicated to fully electric cars. The BMW Group’s portfolio of fully electric cars now spans six model lines with 10 powertrain derivatives. The company aims for fully electric vehicles to account for 50% of its global sales by 2030.

But this is just the beginning. BMW has more in store with the upcoming BMW i5 sedan, promising enhanced dynamics, comfort, and a fresh interpretation of the brand’s signature design. Equipped with BMW Operating System 8.5, the BMW i5 will offer a suite of innovative digital services.

In terms of sales, BMW Group Asia has been a leader in the premium segment, selling 204 fully electric vehicles in the first four months of 2023, accounting for over 20% of total BMW and MINI EV sales in Singapore. These figures demonstrate the preference of EV buyers for BMW and MINI vehicles in the country.

As for charging infrastructure, Singapore currently has over 3,600 EV charging points, with plans to increase this number to 12,000 by 2025 and 60,000 by 2030. BMW Group Asia has been collaborating with Greenlots, a member of the Shell Group, since 2014 to provide home and public charging options.

Under the Shell Recharge banner, BMW i and MINI Electric customers can enjoy a comprehensive home or public charging package. The package includes a wall-mounted AC charger for home charging and a subscription package of 10,000 kWh over three years at Shell Recharge stations for public charging.

BMW’s regional footprint extends to 80% of the ASEAN region, offering electrified vehicles in markets such as Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

To experience the new BMW i4 eDrive35, interested customers can visit any authorised BMW dealer in Singapore.

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV!