The BMW Concept i4, one of the many models that were to be unveiled at the now-cancelled Geneva International Motor Show, provides a look ahead to the new i4 model to be launched in 2021. It will be the BMW Group’s first all-electric model in the premium midsize class.
“The BMW Concept i4 brings electrification to the core of the BMW brand,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice-President, BMW Group Design. “The design is dynamic, clean and elegant. In short: a perfect BMW that happens to be zero emission.”
“The design of the BMW Concept i4 shows fantastic proportions, a powerfully expressive character and, of course, a lot of attention to detail,” added Domagoj Dukec, Head of BMW Design. “With the Curved Display, we have redefined BMW’s signature driver focus in an extremely elegant way. At the same time, the BMW Concept i4 transports a feeling of sustainable driving pleasure.”
As part of the package, the Concept i4 includes several exterior and interior design elements which will be incorporated in both the i4 and other electrically-powered production vehicles.
Electrifying aesthetics
The long wheelbase, fastback roofline and short overhangs form a basic profile for a Gran Coupe. With its four doors, the Concept i4 offers not only a high level of everyday usability and practicality, but also a much larger interior than the car’s modern and dynamic proportions would immediately suggest.
Crisp, smooth lines and taut volumes merge into a rich, smoothly contoured sculpture and create a clear surfacing language. The modern exterior paint shade known as ‘Frozen Light Copper’ mirrors that on the BMW Vision iNEXT and showcases the interplay of surfaces to visually stunning effect.
Blue elements in the front end, flanks and rear end point to the car’s BMW i origins. They shine a spotlight on the signature BMW i icons and bring the technology below the surface to the fore – for example, the kidneys in their role as an intelligence panel, the mouldings in the side skirts concealing the battery technology, and the diffuser elements in the rear end, which fill the design space vacated by exhaust tailpipes and enhance aerodynamic efficiency.
A host of aerodynamic measures help maximise the car’s electric range. The blanked-off kidney grille and clear aero lips provide detail examples of sophisticated airflow engineering at work.
Another distinctive area of the car are the wheel rims. These have been designed exclusively for the Concept i4 and blend aerodynamic and lightweight design; smooth – and therefore aerodynamically optimised – surfaces contrast with ultra-low-weight, high-strength spokes.
The front-end treatment presents the familiar BMW icons in a new look, lending a visually powerful face to the electric age at BMW. The prominent, closed-off kidney grille provides a tangible connection between the past and future of BMW.
The BMW icon also gains new functionality: With no combustion engine to require cooling, the grille now serves primarily as an ‘intelligence panel’ housing various sensors. The headlights likewise provide a bridge between the past and the future; the classical 4-eyed front end has a very modern and pared-back interpretation.
Innovation meets minimalism
The interior of the Concept i4 focuses on those times when the driver chooses to pilot the car themselves. To this end, every element in the front of the cabin is trained on the driver. The new Curved Display teams up with the steering wheel to reveal a new take on driver orientation and offers a look ahead to the display in the production versions of the iNEXT and i4.
The Curved Display encompasses a large proportion of the section in front of the driver and almost all operating functions are integrated into the display. This is part of an overall approach centred on reducing the number of haptic controls to the minimum.
Spacious rear compartment
Rear-seat passengers are greeted by a generously-sized compartment offering levels of headroom and legroom that exceed expectations of a coupe. The cut-out in the head restraints is a classy detail that references sporty BMW models from the current line-up.
The rear seats extend the horizontal graphic emerging from the doors to create a lounge feel in the rear. Meanwhile, the outer seats reprise the dynamic form of the front seats, heightening the sporting flavour. They also use very little stitching, which further emphasises the clean and modern feel.
The sound of the Concept i4
The Concept i4 is not only characterised by its individual design but also by its own visionary and unique sound. It was developed under the brand name of BMW IconicSounds Electric by world renowned composer Hans Zimmer together with BMW Sound Designer Renzo Vitale.
BMW IconicSounds Electric aims to emotionalise BMW’s electric vehicles and make them audible using individual sound worlds. The sound combines BMW’s past and future, ranging from the driving sounds in ‘Core’ mode to the more intense and pronounced sounds of ‘Sport’ mode. Also included are the sounds of the door opening and the starting scenario.
Fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology
The electric motor, power electronics, charging unit and high-voltage battery use fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology. These are all-new developments enabling the BMW Group to take another significant step forward in the field of electrified drive systems. The electric motor developed for the i4 generates maximum output of up to 390 kW (530 ps), which ranks it alongside a current BMW V8 combustion engine.
Electrical energy is drawn from a newly designed high-voltage battery pack with the very latest battery cell technology. The version of the battery developed for the i4 has extremely slim construction and optimised energy density. It weighs roughly 550 kgs, has an energy content of around 80 kWh and can provide an operating range that is claimed to be up to 600 kms.
A new BMW brand identity
BMW is unveiling the brand’s new look for the first time. The new logo for communications also provides the basis for the badge on the Concept i4. Its two-dimensional and transparent design ensures seamless integration and brings the special exterior colour shade to even greater prominence.
