BMW’s i4 eDrive35 might just be the perfect entry point for a well-appointed electric sedan. Sitting below the eDrive40 Gran Coupé, it delivers 210kW of power and 400Nm of torque to its rear wheels, and all for around $93,000 plus on-roads.
Sporting European styling, our test vehicle came with the optional enhancement package that adds heated front seats, metallic paint and a panoramic sunroof for an additional $3,000. It’s money well spent we reckon.
With no direct competitors (let’s face it the BYD Seal Premium and Tesla Model 3 are in a different price bracket, and don’t have the same appointments or build quality), the i4 offers an EV alternative to the traditional petrol-powered 4 Series.
The eDrive35 is even cheaper than the 430i, if your comparison is based solely on performance numbers. Sporting a similar look to the internal combustion varieties, including the grille that half the world hates on, its best angle is the rear quarter.
Subtly styled and aerodynamically conscious 18-inch wheels look the part, while there are some blank areas in the rear bumper where the exhaust pipes would have gone. Exterior paint options are plenty, including Alpine White.
That package BMW opted-in gives you Mineral White Metallic, Sunset Orange, Skyscraper Grey, San Remo Green, Aventurine Red III and Black Sapphire. All of them are pretty decent options, to be honest.
The eDrive35 tips the scales at 2,035kg thanks to its 70.2kWh battery and will do the 0-100km/h sprint in 6.0-seconds. While it is the smallest battery of the i4 range, it will only take 32 minutes to get to an 80 per cent charge with a DC fast charger.
During our time with the car, we would regularly get up to high 90 per cent capacity within the hour, which is not bad at all. For home AC chargers, overnight charging at seven hours is what you can expect. A full battery would be good for about 400km range.
Thankfully, the batteries don’t seem to encroach on the interior space too much, if at all. While the i4 retains a transmission tunnel from its combustion counterpart, interior space and comfort for all occupants seems decent.
Leather trim can be had in either black or cognac, and while you won’t find any storage space under the bonnet, the boot offers 470-litres, or 1,290-litres, if you drop the split fold rear seats.
Second row occupants have decent legroom too, although taller passengers may need to watch their heads given the lift back profile of the 4 Series in general. The front seats feature electric adjustability.
While the interior isn’t too showy, it’s certainly comfortable. At night, the mood lighting adds a bit more flair, with plenty of highlight colours to choose from to truly customise the car to your mood.
Two large and vibrant displays dominate the dash, with a 12.3-inch instrument display and a 14.9-inch infotainment screen; the latter powered by OS 8.5. You still have the option to navigate with and even write on, the wheel in the centre console too.
The infotainment system is of course touchscreen as well, allowing you to leave fingerprints and marks all over the large display. Audio is provided by a 205-watt 10-speaker sound system, which does a decent job.
The standard navigation suite is quite good, but with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay available wirelessly, you may find yourself using your familiar apps instead. A wireless phone charger is also located in the front of the centre console.
We found it got hot often, and would stop charging. On the road, the BMW i4 eDrive35 feels like a well balanced car. The steering wheel is comfortable in hand and feels light in a range of driving conditions. The rear-wheel drive setup does a great job of hiding its girth.
Road noise isn’t dead quiet, perhaps attributed to the frameless doors, but doesn’t feel annoying. The car is planted and compliant, even when we took on some winding, damp roads.
It’s quite a playful machine, even if the sensations are different to those served up by a traditional combustion powered car. It still left us smiling and wanting to go for another round. Acceleration doesn’t melt your face off, but is suitably quick for public roads.
In a cool touch, Sport mode features a soundscape composed by Hans Zimmer. Our only concern came when some badly marked roadworks caused the car’s rudimentary lane keep functionality (which is really just lane departure with steering assist) to veer off briefly.
Multiple speed limits confused the speed sign recognition system too. Otherwise, we did like that the car wasn’t in any way annoying with its alerts, and that it would remember things like what drive mode you were in before turning the car off.
It does seem to reset some of the air-con settings though. On a side note, the i4 turns itself off if you put walk away from it, with the keys in your pocket, which might be an issue if you leave others waiting for you in the blazing heat of a Sydney summer.
BMW provides a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty, with 8-years or 160,000km for the battery. A 6-year service plan can be purchased for about $1980 and a complimentary Chargefox subscription is also included with purchase.
As an affordable means of getting someone into an electric vehicle, the i4 eDrive35 makes a compelling argument. It also works as a way of getting someone into a BMW considering the cost benefit against the 430i Gran Coupe.
You can find out more by visiting the BMW Australia website, or by talking to your local dealership. To get a low rate finance quote on your next vehicle purchase, talk to Australia’s best reviewed car finance broker; Credit One.
To see a great range of vehicles for sale, check out OnlyCars.com.au.
Our test vehicle was provided by BMW Australia for independent review purposes.
