KUALA LUMPUR: BMW Malaysia today unveiled the i4 eDrive40 at NEXTGen Malaysia.
It joins the iX3 and iX that were launched last year. Price will be announced at launch, slated to be sometime in the middle of the year. It is expected to be the lowest-priced of the three i models.
The all-electric 4-door Gran Coupé sports an elegant design, coupled with an efficient fifth-generation BMW eDrive without the use of rare earth materials.
It measures 4,785mm long, 1,852mm wide, and 1,448mm tall, and has a 2,856mm wheelbase.
It is characterised by short overhangs, slim pillars, sculpted surfaces with swage lines, doors with frameless windows and a roofline that flows into the rear.
The front gets vertically prominent BMW kidney grille with accents in BMW i Blue, which is largely closed off as a small cooling requirement of the electric drive components, and is equipped with integrated camera, ultrasonic and radar sensors for driver assistance systems.
Slender full LED headlights are standard while BMW Laserlight is an option.
The 83.9kWh battery on the floor (80.7 kWh net) offers a range of 590km (WLTP). The car can reach a top speed of 190kph, with the century sprint achieved in 5.7 seconds.
The combined electric power consumption is rated at between 19.1 - 16.1 kWh/100 km based on the WLTP cycle.
The i4 can be recharged from empty to 100 per cent in under 8.5 hours using a 11kW BMW i Wallbox.
However, a DC fast charger speeds up the process considerably. BMW said it takes 30 mins to charge the battery from 10 per cent to 80 per cent. Note that the high voltage battery is designed to have a 20% reserve of power even when the display appears to show it has zero charge.
The interior fuses a clear, open design language with a new slim and low instrument panel. The BMW Curved Display brings together the information display behind the steering wheel and the control display of the BMW iDrive control/operation system into a frameless, single-piece glass surface angled towards the driver.
The 12.3-inch information display and 14.9-inch control display effectively merge into a single driver-focused unit based on the new BMW Operating System 8, further complemented by a Head-Up Display as standard.
Physical control elements such as buttons and controls are minimised, while the upgraded BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant makes interaction more natural.
The i4 is equipped with three-zone automatic climate control that uses nanofiber filter technology to purify cabin air.
The Gran Coupé is equipped with an intelligent automatic climate control system that can adjust the seat heating and seat ventilation – to ensure the most comfortable interior climate possible.
Also included is the Harman Kardon surround system, complete with 16 speakers and digital seven-channel amplifier.
Driving assistance systems include the Driving Assistant that offers Lane Change Warning, Crossing-traffic Warning at the rear, Rear Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning with active lane return, Front Collision Warning with brake intervention, Rear Collision Prevention as well as the manual Speed Limit Assist and Speed Limit Info.
The Gran Coupé is also equipped with the Driving Assistant Professional that includes Active Cruise Control with Stop& Go function, Steering and Lane Control Assistant, Emergency Stop Assistant, automatic Speed Limit Assist, Lane Change Assistant, Lane Keeping Assistant with active side collision protection, Crossing-traffic Warning at the front, Evasion Assistant, Crossroads Warning with city braking function, Steering and Lane Control Assistant with active lane guidance, traffic light recognition and Wrong-way Warning.
Available also is the Parking Assistant with Park Assist, including end-on parking spaces and exiting from parking spaces, Active Park Distance Control, lateral parking aid and Reversing Assistant. Optionally, owners can also enjoy the Parking Assistant Plus with Surround View System and Remote 3D View.
The car is backed by a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty with free scheduled service programme. In addition, the battery is backed by an 8-year or 160,000km mileage (whichever comes first).
The i4 is available in a choice of three colours: Black Sapphire Metallic, Mineral White Metallic, or M Brooklyn Grey Metallic.
