ELECTRIFYING i4 (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

BMW's i4 claims an electrifying proposition in top M50 AWD form. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 45

The i4 M50 was BMW's very first full-electric-powered M model, a fiery five-door fastback that claims to offer the punch of an M3 with the luxury of a 5 Series. A BMW EV engineered in the proper traditions of BMW. Or is it? Let's see.

Backgroundword count: 182

What might a full M-engineered BMW EV sports saloon be like? Arguably, that's what we have here in the form of the i4 M50. Launched in 2022, it was the Munich maker's first M-badged EV. Though M-badged like an M340i, rather than M-badged like an M3: as every loyalist of the Bavarian maker will tell you, the difference is important. Nevertheless, the i4 M50 remains a model of great significance, sharing its drivetrain and battery with an only slightly larger stablemate model, the i5 M50. Comparisons with the brand's M3 Competition street racer saloon are invited here in terms of performance, size and price, though in reality, a closer match probably lies with the M440i xDrive version of the 4 Series Gran Coupe, alongside which this top i4 model is produced in Munich. And target market? Well if you want something a bit more than a Tesla Model 3 Performance or a Polestar 2 Dual Motor Performance Pack, but you can't stretch to faster versions of the Mercedes EQE or the Porsche Taycan, and i4 M50 needs to be on your list.

Driving Experienceword count: 215

The i4 M50 uses the same battery as the mid-range rear-driven i4 eDrive40 model. But mates it with a big slug of extra performance. The M50 engineering gets you a dual motor AWD system developing an enormous 544hp and 795Nm of torque and, if you engage the extra provided 'Boost' drive mode (which temporarily adds 68hp for 'push-to-pass' overtaking), it storms past 62mph in just 3.9s (about half a second slower than an M3), en route to 140mph. There's 318 miles of range. M50-spec also gets you adaptive damping, which is air-sprung at the rear. Unlike some of its rivals, this BMW gets pretty feelsome Servotronic electromechanical steering, along with an integrated braking system that does a good job in combining friction and regen braking in a way that feels reasonably natural to the pedal. There are no steering wheel paddles to alter energy recuperation, but 'light', 'medium' and 'high' screen-selectable functions allow you to do so - or you can just activate the provided 'B' drive ratio. There are three main drive modes - 'ECO Pro', 'Comfort' and 'Sport', with the extra 'Sport Boost' setting we referenced earlier also available. Once you blast away from rest and the electric motors are spinning within their 8,000 to 17,000 rpm peak range, the acceleration is storming.

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