Page 64 - Sharp September 2021

SPECS
Power: 335–536 hp Range: 385–475 km (estimated) Price: $54,990–$72,990
i’m Back
BMW’s avant-garde i brand returns with its next generation of driving machines
BACK IN 2011, ELECTRIC VEHICLES were in their awkward, gawky, severely uncool middle-school phase. Tesla stock was practically worthless; just 215 new EVs were registered across Canada. And BMW took the wraps off the i3 Concept, which landed in showrooms a couple years later. To say the i3 Concept was ahead of the curve is an understatement, and it’s taken BMW a while to make worthy follow-ups, but now they’re finally here.
BMW i4
The new BMW i4 is as familiar as the iX is adventurous. Inside and out, it looks very much like BMW’s new 4 Series Gran Coupe. You’d never guess the i4 is electric — at least not until it rockets down the road without making a peep. The i4 is what happens when BMW tries to make the Ultimate (Electric) Driving Machine. The rear-wheel drive i4 eDrive40 should be interesting, but it’s the
A DROP IN THE BUCKET
How many new fully electric vehicles are registered in Canada each year? More and more, but they’re still just a small fraction of the roughly two million new vehicles registered annually.
i4 M50 that really has us sitting up and paying attention, thanks to its dual-motor all-wheel drive and 536 hp. With BMW making the best-handling compact sedans on the road today, we naturally expect that the i4 — with its ultra-low centre of gravity and instant electric torque — will be no exception. You can find out for yourself once the i4 arrives in showrooms early next year.
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THE ELECTRIC ISSUE
64 AUTO • SEPTEMBER 2021
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