2024 BMW i4 offers an expanded, four-variant family in the U.S.

The BMW i4 is the entry-level model in the BMW i range for the U.S. market. It was introduced as a 2022 model and reached dealerships early last year. Later in the same year, it received an MY2023 update. Now, it has received another update, for the 2024 model year.

Here’s everything we know about the 2024 BMW i4 in the U.S. It’s important to note that some of the details and visuals presented in this article pertain to the current model year, and any forthcoming information will be added accordingly.

Design

The BMW i4 has been well-received by customers worldwide, and considering that it is new, the German electric sedan has not received design revisions this year. The MY2024 update doesn’t bring any new color and style packages either.

After witnessing a barrage of two-box SUVs with in-your-face designs, the i4’s low-slung three-box styling has a sanitizing effect on the eyes. The i4 appears traditional and futuristic in equal measure. Upfront, there’s the latest iteration of the BMW kidney grille, which is closed off with a glossy black finish. There’s a lower air inlet to cool the battery and vertical vents on the side of the bumper to cool the brakes. The sleek full-LED headlamps are standard.

18-inch wheels are standard on the base 2024 BMW i4, while, 19- and 20-inch wheels will be available either as standard or optionally depending on the trim higher up the range. Do note that the bigger wheels impact the driving range of the car, which we’ve talk about in the ‘Specifications’ section.

The door handles on the BMW i4 sit flush with the bodywork but are not pop-out units. The window line flows neatly into the Hofmeister kink while the roof slopes gently into the rear in a coupe-like fashion. The taillamps are incredibly sleek, and with no need for an exhaust, BMW has tweaked the rear bumper to improve aerodynamics.

The rear bumper houses a diffuser and sharply cut vertical aero vanes on the sides of both versions. The front bumper on the M50 gets a signature U-shaped design and additional side intakes to cool the brakes, and that has remained unchanged with the MY2024 update.

The kidney grille surround and the vertical trim around the air curtains are finished in Cerium Gray. The window surrounds feature ‘M high-gloss Shadowline’ trim as standard on the i4 M50 variant, and the on the rest of the range, they should carry a gloss black finish. The rear bumper appears very aggressively styled, and there’s also a spoiler on the tailgate.

Interior & Features

BMW Group hasn’t announced any interior changes in the 2024 BMW i4, which could mean everything inside the car is the same as the outgoing model. The cabin matches the car’s sporty and athletic character with many driver-focused elements, and we didn’t see a need for big changes in this department anyway.

BMW iDrive 8

The i4 has a free-standing curved display that integrates two screens – a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch infotainment screen – and tilts toward the driver. The screens are integrated with BMW’s latest-generation iDrive 8 software. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are also on offer.

The BMW Personal Assistant uses intuitive graphics to communicate. At the same time, the Natural Dialogue feature allows drivers and passengers to use voice, gestures, and gaze in various combinations to communicate with the BMW i4.

Lots of physical controls

The i4 comes standard with sports seats and a sports steering wheel. BMW hasn’t eliminated physical controls, and there are a visible amount of buttons in the cabin. The start/stop button is on the center console, which also houses the rotary iDrive controller and buttons for the e-parking brake, drive modes, traction control, auto start/stop assist, cameras, and parking sensors. Secondary music and climate control buttons are positioned under the central air-con vents.

Additionally, there’s a 23-inch-long panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting with pulsating function, and a standard 10-speaker sound system with a 205 W amplifier. A 16-speaker Harman Kardon sound system with a 464 W amplifier is optional.

Hans Zimmer’s acoustic contributions

What’s more, Hans Zimmer has developed artificial sounds for the BMW i4 to alert pedestrians and road users. The sound can be altered using the infotainment, and there’s different output in Comfort and Sport driving modes. For the M50, there’s a unique energetic tone to bode well with its performance-oriented powertrain. In collaboration with Hans Zimmer, BMW has tuned the sound to the minutest precision – the brand claims there’s an authentic output even to the slightest tap on the throttle pedal.

5G-enabled with eSim

The i4 and the iX are the first BMWs to benefit from 5G support with the help of an eSim. Users can add the eSim to their existing mobile plan and benefit from the EV’s 5G antenna to activate an in-car WiFi hotspot. Moreover, American telecom giant T-Mobile has introduced a dedicated eSim plan called Magenta Drive for BMW. The eSim gets liked to the customer’s BMW user ID and hence is available anytime users sign into their account.

How does this benefit the user? Well, they can stream their favorite songs or movies from their preferred platforms (Spotify or YouTube for example) and access a wealth of information online at unhindered 5G speeds.

Euro NCAP safety rating

BMWs usually achieve the highest, 5-star rating in Euro NCAP (pdf report), but the BMW i4 is an exception. It has received a 4-star rating in the safety tests. The electric four-door coupe scored 87% in adult occupant protection and child occupant protection, but not so well in road user vulnerability – 71%.

An average safety assist score of 64% affected the i4’s Euro NCAP rating the most. According to the final report, the car is not good with lane support, in which it scored just 1.8 points out of the maximum 4. The i4’s Lane Departure Warning system, which is operational from 70 km/h (43 mph), is good with steering the car back into the lane normally but performs marginally in emergency situations.

In Autonomous Emergency Braking car-to-car, the i4 scored 3.8 points out of the maximum 6. The car’s front collision warning with brake intervention, operational from 5 km/h (3 mph) needs improvement. The lack of occupant detection for the driver seat and the rear seats also affected the safety assist score and effectively the star rating.

Specifications

Performance

The 2024 BMW i4 will be available in a new variant in addition to the three from the outgoing model – xDrive40. As the name suggests, xDrive40 is a AWD variant, sporting two motors, one at each end. The dual-motor powertrain produces 396 hp and 443 lb.-ft. of torque, enabling the car to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds.

As for the carried-over variants, eDrive35 and eDrive40 are single-motor RWD variants, while the M50 is a dual-motor AWD variant. The i4 eDrive35’s motor produces 282 hp and 295 lb.-ft. of torque (preliminary figure). A 0-60 mph sprint in the base variant takes 5.8 seconds.

The i4 eDrive40 sports a more capable motor that develops 335 hp and 317 lb.-ft. of torque. It can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds and attain a top speed of 118 mph. A self-leveling rear air suspension is standard on this variant, and BMW says that it greatly reduces body pitch and roll.

The i4 M50 is for enthusiasts who can cough up the extra bucks to get more horsepower. Its two motors churn out 469 hp and 538 lb.-ft. of torque. The driver can increase the combined power and combined torque for over ten seconds by 67 hp and 48 lb.-ft., respectively, to 536 hp and 586 lb.-ft., respectively, using a Sport drive mode. A fuel gauge-style icon in the instrument cluster shows how much boost power is available and for how much time. The M50 takes just 3.7 seconds for a 0-60 mph sprint, and it can attain a top speed of up to 140 mph.

The i4 M50’s powertrain only sends torque to the front wheels when the driving conditions demand more grip. The M50 also comes standard with adaptive M suspension for dynamic handling. Like the i4 eDrive40, the i4 M50 comes with a self-leveling rear air suspension as standard.

Range

The i4 xDrive40 uses an 80.7 kWh battery pack, with which BMW expects it to deliver a range of 307 miles (with 18-inch wheels)/282 miles (with 19-inch wheels). EPA is yet to release its estimates.

The i4 eDrive35 has a 66 kWh battery pack, while the i4 eDrive40 and i4 M50 share an 81.5 kWh battery pack. In the 2023 model year, the EPA-est. range ratings of these variants stand at 256 miles, 301 miles (with 18-inch wheels), and 271 miles (with 19-inch wheels)/227 miles (20-inch wheels), respectively.

Charging

The i4 has the same maximum AC charging power across variants – 11 kW. BMW Group hasn’t disclosed how long it takes to charge the eDrive35 variant’s 66 kWh battery pack with an 11 kW AC charger, but fully charging the other two variants’ 81.5 kWh battery pack with the same takes 8.25 hours.

The eDrive35 variant supports DC charging at up to 180 kW, and at that rate, based on early testing, customers can expect the 10-80% charging time to be 32 minutes. The eDrive40 and M50 variants support a slightly higher maximum DC charging power – 200 kW. Charging their battery pack from 10 to 80% SoC on direct current takes 31 minutes.

The new xDrive40 variant supports charging at an even higher rate – 205 kW. BMW Group is yet to disclose how much time it takes to charge its 80.7 kWh battery pack through a DC fast charger. However, we don’t expect to see a significant difference from the aforementioned variants’ DC fast-charging time.

Lower center of gravity than the 3 Series

The BMW i4 is based on the same platform as the iX, a modified version of BMW’s Cluster Architecture (CLAR). Its eDrive40 variant’s center of gravity is 2.1 inches lower than the BMW 3 Series sedan, thanks to the battery module positioned between the axles. The low center of gravity certainly improves handling and ride quality. The M50 variant’s center of gravity is 1.3 inches lower than the gas-powered sedan.

BMW i4 Specifications	i4 eDrive35	i4 eDrive40	i4 xDrive40	i4 M50
Length	188.5 inches	188.5 inches	188.5 inches	188.5 inches
Width (without mirrors)	72.9 inches	72.9 inches	72.9 inches	72.9 inches
Height	56.8 inches	57.0 inches	57.0 inches	57.0 inches
Wheelbase	112.4 inches	112.4 inches	112.4 inches	112.4 inches
Motor	Single (RWD)	Single (RWD)	Dual motors (AWD)	Dual motors (AWD)
Power	282 hp	335 hp	396 hp	536 hp
Torque	295 lb.-ft.	317 lb.-ft.	443 lb.-ft.	586 lb.-ft.
Battery (net capacity)	66 kWh	81.5 kWh	80.7 kWh	81.5 kWh
Maximum Range	256 miles	301 miles	307 miles	271 miles
0-60 mph	5.8 seconds	5.5 seconds	4.9 seconds	3.7 seconds

BMW i4 Price & Release Date

The prices of the 2024 BMW i4 xDrive40 will start at USD 61,600 (excl. USD 995 destination and handling). Customer deliveries will commence in Q3 2023 (July-September 2023).

The carried-over variants of the BMW i4 could be slightly pricier than the outgoing model. For reference, the prices of the latter’s eDrive35, eDrive40, and M50 variants, start at USD 52,000, USD 57,100, and USD 68,700, respectively – all excluding USD 995 destination and handling. Expect the 2024 i4 eDrive35, 2024 i4 eDrive40, and 2024 i4 M50 also to begin arriving at U.S. dealerships in Q3 2023 (July-September 2023).

Prices of raw materials have increased because of the weak global economic cues and the impact of geopolitical events, prompting carmakers to hike prices. We’ll update this page when we have new information.

BMW Group says that the i4 and iX are in high demand internationally. In the U.S., the German automaker started delivering the i4 and iX in late March 2022, with the i7 going on sale in the fourth quarter of 2022. In total, BMW Group sold 15,584 units of BMW EVs in the U.S. in 2022. In Q1 2023, the company delivered 6,588 EVs in the country.

TopElectricSUV says

The Tesla Model 3 may be leading the pack in the mid-size segment, but the i4 is showing that it has what it takes to give it a run for its money. We find the Bimmer impressive, especially in the main aspects that truly matter in the purchase decision, such as build quality, driving dynamics, practicality, and interior quality. The German car is a more refined product overall and has what it takes to make EV every home’s reliable daily driver. However, challenging the Tesla Model 3 would be possible only if the Germans produce locally and adapt the i4 to further suit American customers.

Featured Image Source: BMW