The BMW i4 is expected to be a close match to the Tesla Model 3 in size and price, and now the German automaker seems to be suggesting it plans to outdo Tesla in handling. In a press release, BMW said handling performance is a priority for the i4, which is scheduled to start production later this year.
“All electric vehicles are capable of fast straight-line acceleration,” project manager David Alfredo Ferrufino Camacho said in a statement. “But that’s not enough for us at BMW.”
BMW is known for the tagline “The Ultimate Driving Machine,” and the photos the automaker released showing a camouflaged prototype getting sideways on a test track indicates the automaker wants to imbue its future electric cars with the same level of sportiness.
To that end, the automaker mentioned several ingredients that should make a good-handling luxury car, including a low center of gravity, communicative steering, and suspension that is firm enough to body movement without compromising ride quality.
2022 BMW i4 testing
The i4 itself is expected to have a similar size and shape to the gasoline BMW 4 Gran Coupe, meaning it will be a four-door sedan with a low, coupe-like roofline. BMW first teased the i4 with i Vision Dynamics concept shown in 2017, and then unveiled a second concept version last year.
BMW has the production version’s 80-kilowatt-hour battery pack will provide about 270 miles of range on the EPA test cycle. The i4 will also use the full suite of fifth-generation BMW EV architecture pieces, with the most powerful version boasting 523 horsepower.
The i4 will also be the first BMW electric car with integrated Apple CarPlay-based charging smarts
The same partnership will also enable a “digital key” function, allowing drivers to use their Apple devices in place of a key fob—similar to the Tesla Model 3 and its card system.