BMW Australia will land its first direct rival for Australia's top selling EV, the Tesla Model 3, in early 2022, but the BMW i4 Gran Coupe won't come cheap.
 |
| BMW i4 latest model || BMW Car || |
Two versions will initially be available Down Under with the BMW i4 eDrive40 priced at just under $100,000 and the BMW i4M50 at almost $125,000 excluding on-road costs and at least four optional packs.
That's significantly more than the Tesla Model 3, which is now priced from just $60,000. Both i4 models are available to order now by placing a $500 deposit online. First deliveries will follow in the first quarter of next year following the release of the all-electric iX3 and iX SUVs in late 2021.
Delivering a full EV option to traditional buyers of the BMW 3 and 4 Series, the i4 is an electric, mid-size, five-seat, four-door based on the 4 Series Gran Coupe lift back.
The entry rear-wheel drive BMW i4 eDrive40 employs a 250-kilowatt, 430-newton-metre electric motor to drive the rear axle powered by an 80.7-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery. It's claimed to hit 100 kilometres from rest in 5.7 seconds, offer a WLTP-verified range of 590 kilometers, and take just 31 minutes to charge from 10 to 80% using a 200-kilowatt DC fast charger.
Meantime, BMW's first electric M model, the i4 M50 upgrades to a dual motor all-wheel drive layout, offering up to 400 kilowatts and 795-newton-metres in sport boost mode. It charges at the same rate as the i4 eDrive40 and offers a 510-kilometre range, but can hit 100 k's an hour in a rapid 3.9 seconds and a 225-kilometre top speed despite weighing in at a hefty 2.3 tons.