tech2 News StaffMar 17, 2021 19:50:51 IST
At its Annual Day Media Conference 2021, BMW took the wraps off its latest all-electric offering, the BMW i4. It was previewed in concept form last year, and now, BMW has unveiled the production-spec i4, with the brand confirming its decision to bring forward the i4’s launch in international markets by three months. The i4 is a member of the BMW 4 Series line-up, and also previews the design of the upcoming BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, which is set to make its debut in the coming months.
In terms of appearance, the production-spec BMW i4 stays largely true to the concept shown in 2020, with only some elements being tweaked on the road-going version. The i4 uses an altered version of BMW’s CLAR platform, which forms the basis for the 3 and 4 Series, and can accommodate battery packs of up to 80kWh capacity.
The production-spec 2021 BMW i4 stays true to the concept shown in 2020 in terms of design. Image: BMW
The i4 is equipped with BMW’s eighth-generation iDrive operating system, which is ready for over-the-air updates and ditches most physical controls inside the vehicle.
While the company has said it will reveal specifics over the coming weeks, it has shared some basic details about the i4. The all-electric, four-door coupe will be available in multiple variants and with a range of up to 590 kilometres (WLTP cycle) on a full charge.
The i4 will join the i3 hatchback and iX3 and iX SUVs in the BMW i range. Image: BMW
There will be an ‘M Performance’ variant of the i4 as well, with a combined total output of 530 hp, all-wheel-drive, a 0-100 kph time of four seconds and an estimated top speed of over 200 kph. An entry-level variant with rear-wheel-drive and a smaller battery will also be offered overseas.
At the annual conference, the company also confirmed fully electric versions of the BMW 5 Series and BMW X1 will be introduced in the years to come, along with all-electric versions of the BMW 7 Series and the next-gen MINI Countryman. With this, the BMW Group says it will have at least one fully electric model in around 90 percent of the segments it is currently present in, by 2023.
