It’s official, BMW Philippines distributor SMC Asia Cars Distributor Corp has revealed its newest electric vehicle (EV) in the country. Joining the likes of the iX, iX3, and i7 EVs is the BMW i4. It serves as the automaker’s latest electric sedan which slots below the flagship 7 Series i7.

Beginning with its looks, the i4 sedan is essentially the 4 Series Gran Coupe albeit powered by electricity. From the massive dual kidney grille, the LED lighting signatures, the sloping coupe-inspired roofline, and the wraparound LED taillights, the all-electric i4 is both aerodynamic and sleek-looking.

Unlike a regular 4 Series Coupe, however, the i4 EV’s grille is closed off and features a distinct design unique only to the i4. It also gets EV-specific bumpers along with aerodynamically designed 19-inch alloy wheels that help reduce drag while the EV is in motion. Moreover, the wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires.

Open the doors and those familiar with the interior of the 4 Series (and 4 Series Gran Coupe) will find a similar-looking cabin. However, the dashboard is dominated by the Live Cockpit Plus which consists of a pair of curved screens. It gets a 14.9-inch digital instrument cluster while the infotainment display measures 12.3 inches. It runs on the latest iDrive 8.5 operating system and supports wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay.

Other available features present inside the i4 include; three-zone automatic climate control, intelligent voice control, power-adjustable front seats with heating/cooling function, a power sunroof, LED ambient lighting, and a 16-speaker BMW Hi-Fi Loudspeaker sound system.

For peace of mind while on the road, intelligent driver assist systems are available in the i4.

The i4 is available in just one variant, the eDrive35. It packs a single electric motor that drives the rear wheels and makes a generous 286 PS along with a respectable 400 Nm of torque. Supplying power to the electric motor is a 70.2 kWh lithium-ion battery pack which gives the i4 a range of up to 483 km on a full charge. Despite only having one electric motor, the i4 eDrive35 can sprint from 0 - 100 km/h in 6 seconds flat and reach a top speed of 190 km/h.

When it comes to recharging the i4, the vehicle comes standard with an 11 kW charging cable along with an AC wall box that will be installed by BMW's partners. The vehicle also supports 180 kW DC charging which can fully recharge the i4 to 80% in as little as 32 minutes. Meanwhile, the 11 kW AC charging system can fully recharge the i4 in about 7 hours.

The 2024 BMW i4 eDrive35 EV retails for PHP 4.490 million.