New photos of the camouflaged 2021 BMW i4 sedan surfaced on the i4Talk forums — a sign the actual production car is drawing near. While the brand is no stranger to electric cars at this point, this will be the first sort-of normal car in their EV lineup. Following up on the funky i3 and the crazy i8, the BMW i4 is a four-door model based on the 3 Series. Bear in mind, that name comes out of necessity as they can’t name it the i3 (and it’s not a coupe, like the normal 4 Series).
That said, we get a closer look at its styling from these few spy shots. Even though it’s not a 4 Series, it does look nearly identical to that model.
Down to the fastback styling, the LED taillights and the massive grille, this looks more or less like a longer 4 Series. It’s slated to compete against the Tesla Model 3 and the upcoming Audi e-tron GT. Of course, if it’s really going to compete against either one, it needs to bring some performance chops.
The information that’s currently available suggests the 2021 BMW i4 will pack a 530 horsepower drivetrain. Beyond that, it may pack an 80-kWh battery, good for a range of around 372 miles. That’s using the WLTP cycle, so EPA figures will likely come in lower than that. Like Tesla, we also expect the 2021 BMW i4 to be available in rear or all-wheel drive configurations.
While the 2021 BMW i4 may debut sometimes later this year, it won’t actually enter production until sometime next year. We expect pricing to kick off somewhere in the low to mid-$50,000 range. It needs to compete with the Tesla Model 3 and a widening range of EV sedans, so the competition should (hopefully) keep the i4 within reason.
