The 2020 edition of the Geneva Motor Show may have been knocked out by the coronavirus, but many automakers have decided to go ahead with the presentation of their vehicles online.
This isn’t exactly surprising given the huge sums of money invested in the show and the premieres scheduled to appear there. It was simply inconceivable that carmakers would sacrifice the media spin-offs that come out of presenting their newest products.
BMW’S big attraction in Geneva was to be the i4 concept. Today, the all-electric car was unveiled via a video presentation. In it we get a glimpse of the creation process of the model, but we also get discover a car whose design is close to the production stage. Roughly the siza and shape of a Series 4 Gran Coupe, the i4 has very aggressive styling up front thanks to its massive grille, clean lines and slender headlights.
In the back, the taillights are also restrained and the rest of the presentation is very streamlined. At this end, the visual signature appears closer to the concept than to a production car, but it’S getting close. There are huge diffusers at the lower extremities, which increases the vehicle's impression of width and improve aerodynamics. These are surrounded by a bluish stripe, a colour associated with BMW's electrical division.
In terms of performance, the model's powertrain delivers 530 hp, which will allow a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 4 seconds. Range is estimated at 600 km on the European cycle. We expect that on this side of the Atlantic it will hover somewhere around 450 km.
Inside, a lot of “greener” materials are used, but what stands out most is a very clean design featuring a curved screen in front of the driver. The company also called on composer Hans Zimmer, renowned for his work in producing film scores, to create a unique sound experience for the model.
Clearly, there are a lot of interesting innovations with the i4. Of course, we'll have to wait for the production version to see where those innovations all lead, but the table is set.
