Significant information has been shared about the iNext and i4.

BMW i4 (above). set to be headed by a M derivative, will be preceded by the iX (below).

M POWER will come to a BMW electric car here from early next year, the brand has arrived.

Confirmation of long-held speculation that the i4 sedan, here early 2022, will representing as the first of its electric cars to have an M performance designation, as a model called the eDrive M50, comes on a busy day for BMW New Zealand.

The brand has also unwrapped full details of its other forthcoming electric model, the iX five-seater crossover, which will install locally in the last quarter of this year.

The i4, of course, travels a totally different path to iX, being essentially a fully electric version of the 4-Series Gran Coupe, itself a spin-off of the mark’s historically vital 3-Series medium car.

Designated as a Gran Coupe, the car will avail in an rear-drive eDrive40 format that places below the performance oriented M50, which is all-wheel-drive.

BMW says the i4 is “aimed at the traditional core of the mid-size segment” and promises an “all-new take on BMW’s signature driving pleasure”.

The announcement also came with the confirmation of official WLTP cycle range figures. BMW says the eDrive40 will sport a Tesla-challenging range of 590km, so 80km more than the M50 will deliver in optimal circumstances.

Both variants have plenty of zap. The eDrive40 has 250kW/430Nm from its electric motor on the rear axle, while the dual-motor M50, which feeds from a lithium-ion battery pack with a usable capacity of 80.7kWh, has 400kW/795Nm – that’s 30kW more than the gruntiest petrol-powered 3-Series model, the M4 Competition. BMW cites a 0-100kmh sprint time of 3.9 seconds.

A Type 2 CCS charging port will be standard, able to charge the i4 at up to 11kW on AC or 210kW on DC. This allows for a minimum charging time of 8.5 hours (0–100 percent) on AC, or 31 minutes on DC (10–80 percent). BMW cites the combined consumption rate at being between 16-24kWh/100km.

BMW says it has worked to reduce the amount of rare earth metals used in its latest battery technology, with minimal cobalt used, and the lithium sourced solely from mines in Australia.

Like the i3, i8 and iNext, i4 will have many interior pieces constructed of recycled materials.

Specifications have not been locked in, but it’s expected the model will score from 17- to 20-inch alloy wheels. An adaptive suspension comes with the M50, as well as launch control functions.

The i4’s cockpit comprises a single piece glass surface with a 14.9-inch multimedia screen, and a 12.3-inch digital dash cluster.

A selection of interior colours, ambient LED interior lighting, as well as standard synthetic leather trim will be offered.

An “intelligent personal assistant” will feature, offering voice-controlled functions and even data-based predictive functions, such as automatically winding down the window to facilitate the swiping of an access card for a garage, according to one overseas report.

The low roofline might be expected to have impact on headroom, but less so boot space. It has 470 litres, expandable to 1290 litres with the rear seats folded down.

BMW is also playing up something you don’t generally hear about in relation to EVs … the sound the car will make.

It recruited well-known film score composer, Hans Zimmer, the guy behind the ‘Days of Thunder’ soundtrack, to create something called the BMW IconicSounds Electric system, an option on all models. The sounds are designed to reflect the car's acceleration and overall speed.

Confirmation about the model’s timeline and variant types has synched with release of everything but pricing in relation to the iX.

Three all-wheel-drive models are en route. It will install initially as the xDrive40 with outputs of 240kW power, 630Nm torque and 425km range from a 76.6kWh battery and as the xDrive50, generating 385kW/765Nm torque and promising 630km range from a 111.5kWh battery.

A sporty iX M60 variant with output in excess of 440kW has also been confirmed, though details about this model will be released at ‘a later date’.

All are configured for DC charging – respectively up to 150kW and 200kW for the derivatives confirmed already – and BMW promises ranges of 95 kilometres and 150km can be added to those models within just 10 minutes at that level of charging.

BMW cites the xDrive50 will achieve 0-100kmh in just 4.6 seconds, or 6.1s for the xDrive40.

The car’s positioning as a premium product, even by BMW standards, reflects in the specification. ThexDrive40 runs on 21-inch alloys, has LED headlights, keyless entry and push button start, full leather, headed front seats with massaging, four zone air con, ambient lighting, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless phone charging, BMW Natural Interaction voice assistant, a Harman/Kardon sound system, semi-automatic parking and a healthy span of driver assists, including adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist.