First Drive: 2022 BMW i4 M50

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Launching beside BMW’s all-electric iX crossover is the sassy i4. While it’s based on the next-generation 4 Series Gran Coupe, that’s pretty much where the similarities end. When it lands in Canada in the first quarter of 2022, it will be offered in two distinctly different flavours.

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The i4 eDrive40 uses a single rear-mounted electric motor that twists out 335 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. While it was not available for testing, for many prospective customers it promises to be enough car to satisfy.

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First Drive: 2022 BMW i4 M50 Back to video

Those who want more need only to look to the higher-performance i4 M50 — it’s the first all-electric ride from BMW’s M division. Driving it proved it more than lives up to expectation. This model adds a second electric motor that drives the front wheels. This gives it an electric xDrive all-wheel-drive extension. Normally the rear motor does the driving to improve efficiency and range, but the front motor comes into play the instant the driver demands power, or the rear wheels show signs of losing traction. The setup is also used as the first level of stability control.

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The M50’s numbers are M-worthy. The front motor develops 255 hp; the rear motor adds another 308 hp. When both are giving their all, the i4 M50 has a combined output of 469 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque. In both cases, the electric motors use a single-speed transmission to relay the power.

The M50’s twist is found in the Sport Boost function. When active, it ups the horsepower by 67 and the torque by 48 lb-ft, which brings a maximum thrust of 536 hp and 586 lb-ft of torque, and it can produce these elevated numbers for just over ten seconds. While the extra burst of speed is very much appreciated, the “M-specific” soundtrack that accompanies the power surge is a little too futuristic for its own good.

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The M50’s twin-motor setup does bring a wicked turn of speed — it runs to 100 kilometres an hour in 3.9 seconds. Key is the fact the instant-on electric torque turns up from Rev One, so this thing positively leaps off the line and runs hard and fast through the mid-range. On the drive route, nailing the accelerator on the Autobahn at 120 km/h saw it pull hard and fast to 200 km/h, and it did so in what felt like the blink of an eye.

Both versions of the i4 use the same 83.9-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery. It delivers a driving range of up to 475 kilometres in the eDrive40. The M50’s second electric motor and overt performance does drop the range to around 385 km, but that’s still enough to banish range anxiety.

Where some EVs show an artificially high driving range at the start of the drive and then seem to drop off a cliff once past the half-range mark, in this instance the M50’s range dropped according to the manner in which it was being driven. The day started with 381 kilometres showing as the driving range; the drive route covered 168 km. At the end of the test route, there was still 234 km of range remaining.

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Under normal circumstances, it takes around eight hours to replenish the battery using a Level 2 charger. However, when on the road a DC fast-charger pumps in around 140 km of range in 10 minutes, and it can charge the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in 31 minutes. This aspect makes tackling a trip that’s beyond the battery’s normal range much less of a hassle.

One of the keys to the driving range is the regenerative braking side. In Drive, the system looks after itself and gives the driver a choice of three different levels of regen. The system is smart, as it looks at navigation data and other sensors to determine what’s happening — close in on a slower-moving vehicle and the system automatically begins to regen to reduce speed.

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While the automated mode works well, the better choice is found when the shifter is moved into the B (brake) position. This gives the M50 one-pedal drive. On the Autobahn , lifting slightly saw it slow gently when readying to exit at an off-ramp, and it worked very nicely in an urban environment.

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However, the one-pedal setup really comes into its own during a hard and fast run where the driver is on and off the accelerator quickly and repeatedly. In the Bavarian Alps, it allowed the M50 to be set up for a corner by simply feathering the accelerator. It worked so well, the need to engage the regular M Sport brakes was virtually nil — only underestimating the severity of a decreasing radius hairpin brought the need to jump on the brake pedal!

The M50 rides on an adaptive M suspension. The setup uses regular coil springs up front and load-levelling air springs at the back with adaptive dampers at both ends. The calibration is just about spot-on. The key is the emphasis changes according to the drive mode selected. In Sport, it banishes body roll when pushing on through the twisty bits; Comfort mode makes it commendably compliant the rest of the time. EcoPro is only for those times when maxing out the range is paramount.

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Part of the M50’s agility boils down to the fact the stiff body is further strengthened by suspension braces and the fact the i4’s centre of gravity is 10 milimetres lower than the regular 4 Series Gran Coupe. Factor in the speed and accuracy of the steering and the M50 is a seriously dynamic drive.

Normally, the mass at play — almost 2,300 kg in this case — makes the drive feel lethargic and numb. That is not the case here. The M50 pushes deep into a corner, it pivots sweetly at the apex, and then hauls out of it with a rare tenacity. It’s such I forget I was driving an all-electric vehicle. This tells you how sharp and seamless it feels when pushed.

The rest of the M50 is all 4 Series Gran Coupe — excellent materials, deep-dish front seats with lots of bolstering and support, enough rear seat space for a pair of riders to relax comfortably, and a roomy trunk that’s unaffected by the battery. The key difference is the i4 M50 features BMW’s latest 12.3-inch instrumentation and 14.9-inch infotainment screens. The two sit under a single, free-standing piece of glass. As it’s the same setup found in the larger iX, in the i4 it occupies a little over half of the crash-pad’s real estate, so it’s an instant eye-catcher and tough to miss! The better news is the graphics at play are crystal clear and delving into the infotainment system proved to be easy and uneventful.

The 2022 i4 M50 is a true joy to drive and reminded me very much of the M3 sedan. It has power to spare over the entire operating range and it devours a corner without feeling taut or temperamental in the city. It is an enviable blend of abilities that should see its popularity soar almost as quickly as it romps off the line!

When the 2022 BMW i4 arrives in Canada next year, the eDrive40 will start at $54,990; the M50 tested here will command $72,990.