BMW i4 review

On the face of it this is a mighty attractive idea and an easy thing to describe: an electric BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. Although to be truthful it's not that, because frankly that'd be a bit of a bodge-up.

It has a different floor, suspension and even seats, all to fit around the electric bits. And it wears a new dash that's on-trend with the enormo-screen experience beloved by fashion-forward EV buyers.

By which of course we mean the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2. Yup, the i4 has in its sights those low-slung, fast but not ridiculously unaffordable electric cars. Since its launch, new rivals have landed in the shape of the BYD Seal, Volkswagen ID.7 and smaller, but ultra-rangey Mercedes CLA.

Meanwhile the faster, feistier rungs of the i4 offering are nudging into 'Audi e-tron GT with a discount' territory. Ergo lightly used Porsche Taycans too.

Run me through the options.

The RWD eDrive35 packs 282bhp and 295lb ft for 0-62mph in six seconds flat, powered by a 70kWh battery (67kWh usable) that's good for up to 319 miles of range between charges. If you're brave enough, that is.

Then there's the eDrive40, which upgrades the battery (84/81kWh) and harnesses more oomph - 335bhp and 317lb ft - for 0-62mph in 5.6 seconds. The big appeal here isn't the bragging rights but the extra range: as many as 380 miles on paper.

But aren't 'performance' EVs supposed to be lightning fast?

Step up to the twin-motor i4, AWD M60 (formerly M50) and it just might. 0-62 in 3.7s courtesy of 593bhp and 586lb ft. It sits in the M Performance hierarchy and costs £72k. As you'd expect, it has firmed-up suspension. But its bigger tyres and extra motor erode the range to 338 miles.

Nevertheless, this is M Division's biggest selling model nowadays. Even if it's not the bona fide 'M Car' the new plug-in M3 will be...

Just like the M50 it supersedes, it's startlingly rapid, especially so if you've double-pressed the mode switch into 'Sport Boost'. A fairly po-faced name compared with 'Ludicrous' or 'Plaid' we know, but it's effective.

While most electric cars seem to run out of enthusiasm once you're broaching UK motorway speed, this one keeps forging ahead into autobahn territory. It's limited to 140mph (the RWD cars manage 118mph) and can get there in quite some hurry. That's partly due to the design of BMW's motors, which have no permanent magnets. That also means they use no rare-earth metals.

Is the M60 the one to have then?

Perhaps not. Sure it has frankly brutal acceleration and grip, especially as our test car had optional 20-inch wheels and tyres. But perhaps in pursuit of all that, it arguably sacrifices the delicacy and feel of the best of BMW's cars.

Whereas the cheaper i4s have nicer steering, a more compliant ride, and a lighter-hearted RWD attitude to corners. It's not so fast, but it's more fun on real roads. Still, the M60 is hardly a disappointment. It's just no more 'BMW' in spirit than the defter cars below it.

What about those screens?

The i division's airy, new-materials openness, as seen in the i3 and iX, doesn't show up here. The i4's cabin is pretty much what we expect from a BMW sports saloon. Well, five-door hatch, actually: there’s a big and useful boot out back, not a slim sedan opening like many of its rivals. Yep, the i4 plays a strong practicality card. Shame they didn't go all out and make a Touring, mind.

However, this is a new display system. It’s a pair of curved screens joined under a single glass sheet, bracketed proud of the dash itself. The screen system itself works well, and you can configure it with multiple options. There's also an iDrive controller wheel. But most of BMW's other shortcut buttons have been banished. So there's no longer one for the driver aids, and that's a right pain.

In fact the whole thing is borderline baffling (how many times have we said this with the latest cars?): too many functions, anti-intuitive, tries to do too much for you and mostly fails.

Is this part of the 'Neue Klasse'?

Oh, so you've heard about BMW's big second (well, third) coming. The new era of Neue Klasse launches with the TopGear.com award-winning BMW iX3 crossover and will soon continue with an electric BMW 3 Series, called i3, though a very different proposition to the cutesy carbon city car which first wore that badge. Dozens of new models and model refreshes follow those.

The i4 is already a couple of years into its mid-life facelift, so perhaps that i3 - and a new i4 - will slowly elbow it from the configurator. Yet it remains as handsome to look at, slick to drive and all-round good to spend time with as when it first launched. The electric saloon market is slowly swelling, but one of the originals remains among the best.

The world ain't short of EV saloons - not least with Taycans infamously taking up space on used forecourts - but there's still a vacancy for a car like this. In eDrive35 or 40 form, the BMW i4 rides very well and handles more deftly than any other comparative EV. A little heavier handling and slightly numb on steering compared to an ICE 3 Series, but otherwise good.

The cabin has all the qualities of a typical BMW. It's snug and well-made. The frameless doors are a nice touch, and, well, it’s not as offensive as some of the stuff BMW’s been churning out recently. This is also a car with the sort of range that should allow almost anyone to do almost any of their road trips. It charges fast, and brisk driving or low temperatures don't harm the range as badly as some EVs. It runs Tesla’s battery tech close for year-round use.

It doesn't look like a spaceship, but lots of people don't want that. This car’s secret superpower is that it’s a proper BMW, and proof that Munich's known what to do with EVs for over a decade now.