Review: BMW i4 eDrive40 M Sport – A Brilliant Bavarian ICE-breaker!

Our BMW i4 eDrive40 M Sport wore a tasty hue called M Brooklyn Grey.

Woah, It’s Pretty!

Agreed! And you can take our word about how the rather large faux kidney grilles up front grows on you over time. Perhaps the fact that they’re almost fully shuttered in this fully electric offering sort of eases this.

That aside, BMW’s sleek ‘Gran Coupe’ fastback four-door styling, coupled with the BMW Laser Headlights up front and 3D LED taillights at the rear, as well as the subtly suave M Brooklyn Grey paintjob our tester wore, all add up to this saloon’s already sublime base styling. Of course, that’s not all that this mid-specced i4 has to boost its kerbside appeal…

Massive kidney grilles aside, the M Sport treatment does add tasty Shadowline gloss black accents, as well as 19-inch M Sport wheels plus blue-painted and M-badged brake calipers.

Elevating its stance further are the tasty M Sport bits primed, all inspired by the i4 M50 performance flagship positioned just above. Key bits include the Shadowline gloss black exterior accents, sporty front and rear bumpers with the latter sporting a faux diffuser-like element, as well as the 19-inch dual-tone M alloy wheels primed at all four corners matched with M-branded blue brake calipers.

If you were a fan of BMW’s rendition of the fastback styling prior, then this fifth offering to bear BMW’s ‘i’ model nameplate will indeed tickle your fancy. Predictably, things got even better as we climbed aboard into the cabin…

It's the typical BMW affair here, looking both plush and very high-tech, though it does mirror the latest 3 Series quite a bit here.

Go On Then, Tell Us About The Cabin…

Like the exterior, the i4 eDrive40’s cabin felt both familiar and new. Surprisingly, BMW opted not to get ahead of themselves here by falling into the typical EV trap of wanting to present things with an overtly novel and futuristic theme. Instead, things looked and felt no different from the recently refreshed seventh-gen (G20) 3 Series here.

Being a stylish fastback with frameless windows and swooping roofline, the latter does see this i4 make do with much less headroom compared to a 3 Series equivalent. This is especially true for tall, lanky types seated in the back instead of piloting – or co-piloting – this sleek Bavarian up front. Predictably, this trade-off in headroom is the price you pay for greater style, but this certainly no a deal-breaker.

The Sensatec faux leather upholstery do feel plus, but the M Sport package's power-adjustable sports seats up front is a real treat for drivers - and co-drivers.

That aside, overall space and comforts are respectable, the latter bolstered by the cabin’s rich use of plush Sensatec faux-leather upholstery, soft-touch plastics, and a subtle cabin ambient lighting suite. The M Sport guise treatment furnishes the cabin further with supporting power-adjustable sports seats up front, thicker M Sport steering wheel, tasty aluminium brightworks, black headliner, and alloy sports pedals.

Perhaps what will take time to get used to are the rhombic patterns donned on the plastic panels covering the dash and centre stack. Otherwise, kit and tech count are predictably impressive, even by BMW standards. Included here is an automatic tri-zone climate control with dedicated rear vents, USB-A and USB-C charging ports plus a wireless charging pad, and a thumpy 16-speaker Harman Kardon audio suite.

BMW's latest curved display module powered by its latest BMW Operating System 8 proved to be a visual treat, as is the heads-up display (HUD) for the driver.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is a big plus on top of the more intuitive and quicker operation of said new BMW Operating System 8 ('iDrive 8').

Of course, the icing to the i4 eDrive40’s high-tech cake comes through its adoption of BMW’s latest fully digital curved display module housing both a 12.3-inch instrument panel and a 14.9-inch infotainment touchscreen, both powered by its new BMW Operating System 8 – or ‘iDrive 8’, if you will. Compared to past iDrive suites, this latest one feels more intuitive and quicker with its overall operation.

It’s also a much smarter system now featuring a very interactive voice command suite on top of seamless integration with BMW’s full swing of connectivity-driven functions including navigation. However, we reckon the fact that it offers both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wirelessly will win enough favours amongst prospecting buyers, as will the way this electrified saloon drives…

Unsurprisingly, this Bimmer drives as good as it looks, if not better!

How Does It Drive?

Should the styling and kit count not impress you, then perhaps the way the BMW i4 eDrive40 drives might.. Indeed, House Bavaria knows how to build highly driveable cars, even when they’re not powered by its signature straight-sixes. This i4 eDrive40, though not the top-rung iteration of its range, proves that fact brilliantly.

Firstly, to substitute the absent soundtrack of an ICE, BMW did well here by teaming up with Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer to create an artificial soundtrack for the driveline. The result is a piped-in ‘engine sound’ that’s straight out of science fiction – quite literally – that sounds loudest (read: best) when in ‘Sport’ drive mode, almost making you feel like you’re in a scene of Blade Runner 2049.

Said sound proved more than a match when paired with the i4 eDrive40’s rapid and zippy acceleration abilities. Much of this stems form its rear-mounted motor that drives the rear wheel with 335 HP and 430 NM. You can also take our word when we say those outputs are indeed more than sufficient to propel the i4 eDrive40’s claimed 2,125 KG kerb going.

335 HP and 430 NM driving the rear wheels proved sufficient at propelling this sports saloon's 2,125 KG rapidly to despatch 0-100 KM/H in just 5.7 seconds! However, V-max is limited at just 190 KM/H.

Adaptive M Sport suspension and sticky Pirelli P-Zero tyres primed at all four corners makes for one very agile sports saloon that's eager to carve corners!

Speaking of heft, the way the i4’s chassis masks its weight, even when thrown in and out bends, is palpable. This is perhaps a testament not just to the peppy powertrain mentioned, but the M Adaptive Suspension hardware primed, along with the reassuring M Sport brakes and grippy Pirelli P-Zero sport tyres. Simply put, this is one EV saloon that’s born to carve corners, and it does so brilliantly.

Perhaps said talent is warranted for anything that bears the famed Bavarian crest, but we’ll argue that said brilliance is boosted further by just said hardware, as well as the selectable drive modes module it’s paired with, all work well in tandem to grant the i4 eDrive40 with unparalleled versatility. Simply put, there was never an occasion on the asphalt where we found this mid-specced i4 feeling like a fish out of water.

Our only gripes with this Bimmer’s drive lie in its electronically governed V-max of 190 KM/H, and the noticeable sounds of debris bouncing off the wheel wheels plus slight wind noise intrusion – the latter being a trait one needs to live with when having frameless windows. These aside, it’s plain to see that the i4 eDrive40 offers similar – if not better – driving thrills as how a top-rung petrol-powered 3 Series would.

11 kW AC charging inputs sees the i4 eDrive40's 83.9 kWh battery fully recharged in 8 hours and 15 minutes.
A full charge also grants 590 KM (WLTP).

What About Range And Charging?

Although our three-day testing stint with the i4 eDrive40 proved too short of a span to gauge real-world charging and driving distance, the i4 eDrive40 does sport decent abilities and figures here.

Juicing the motor mentioned is a sizeable 83.9 kWh battery pack mounted in the chassis floor which, though not the largest in class, proved sufficient. Its claimed 590 KM WLTP max range is respectable and, crucially, easily attainable should you drive it sensibly in ‘Eco Pro’ drive mode.

Naturally, ‘sensible driving’ proved easier said than done given how this Bimmer easily tempts anyone into caning it a little here and there – trust us, you will. 

Said battery also accepts DC charging inputs up to 200 kW, thus allowing 10-80% charges in just 31 minutes.

As for charging, this is yet another front that we reckon many will find BMW have covered well. Besides 11 kW AC inputs, which sees full charges (0-100%) in just a little over 8 hours, the i4 eDrive40 can be juiced with up to 200 kW of rapid DC charging, and this promises 10-80% in a mere 31 minutes.

Overall, things on this front are decent to say the least, as is its overall safety and practicality…

BMW ConnectedDrive active driver assist (ADAS) is standard equipment, granting Level 2 semi-autonomous driving abilities as a result.

Is It Safe And Practical Then?

Yes to both, and you need not look past the presence of Level 2 semi-autonomous driving systems (BMW ConnectedDrive) primed as standard to gauge how safe this Bimmer is. That, by the way, comes on top of core basics that includes airbags, seatbelts, and ISOFIX childseat anchors.

As for practicality, the swooping fastback styling does see it rob some luggage space, but we’ll argue that the standard 470-litre capacity is plenty enough for the daily. And before you ask, yes, the rear seats have split-folding abilities to expand that capacity by nearly three times to 1,290 litres.

The 470-litre boot can be expanded up to a 1,290-litre figure thanks to split-folding rear seats. It's also accessible thanks to a powered liftback.

Our only gripe is the cramped hidden stowage floor in the boot having barely enough space to squeeze a standard Type 2 charging cable. Said space would’ve been a nifty bonus  had the aforementioned Harman Kardon audio system’s sizeable amplifier not take up much of the available space here.

Nevertheless, these little drawbacks too little at dampening the i4 eDrive40’s overall brilliance as an all-rounder on this front, unlike the next crucial question – price.

At RM384,210 sans insurance, we'll agree that the BMW i4 eDrive40 M Sport is certainly no bargain.

Gulp. What’s The Cost To This ICE-breaking Brilliance Then?

Sans insurance, the BMW i4 eDrive40 M Sport as tested is tagged at RM384,210. Though a good RM46,000 less than the dual-motor M50 performance flagship, it does cost a good RM100,000 more than the slightly lesser but equally stylish new eDrive35 M Sport guise that sits below it.

Even with BMW Malaysia’s 5-year, unlimited mileage warranty plus free scheduled service coverage and separate 8-year or 160,000 KM EV battery warranty included, there’s no denying the fact that this Bimmer is no bargain EV.

However, we reckon some wouldn’t mind this stiff premium considering what we have to say next…

Style with performance and agility to match? The BMW i4 eDrive40 M Sport is true Bavarian sports saloon to savour!

Should I Really Bother?

Yes, especially if you are not keen on yet another crossover SUV type thing. An all-rounder sports saloon, be they electrified or not, are fast becoming a rare breed these days, and this Bimmer is arguably one of the best examples of said few on sale right now.

Moreover, there’s the fact that the BMW i4 eDrive40 is, first and foremost, a proper BMW sports saloon. It just happens to be one that has an all-electric. The fact that its driving brilliance comes with guilt-free zero emissions is but a bonus.

Overall, it’s easy to see why so many have come to laud this Bimmer as an ‘ICE-breaker’ of sorts. We’re definitely won over by it, and we’re certain it would with you too…

SPECIFICATIONS

BMW i4 eDrive 40 M Sport