i4 Gran Coupe

Make
BMW
Segment
Sedan

It's pretty clear that BMW doesn't care what you think of the way its cars look. Following the reveal of the all-new iX, BMW even mocked its own fans for not seeing the new electric SUV as revolutionary in all the right ways. Once we saw it in the wild, we'll admit that we felt it looked a lot better than the press photos suggested. But what of the new i4? Well, when the concept of this electric sedan was first seen, we'll admit that we weren't won over with its aesthetics either. But now, BMW has revealed the production version's design, and we're eating our words a little.

It's not a radical departure from either the regular 4 Series or the concept, finding a nice middle ground complete with those textured and oversized grilles that the internet loves to hate. With subtle blue accents in the headlights, grilles, side profile, and rear fascia, this is a car that doesn't shout about its electrification but doesn't hide it either. Should you see a blue model on the road, those aerodynamically efficient wheels will be your most obvious clue.

Regardless of what you think of its looks, the i4 is important for many reasons and will prove instrumental in helping the brand reach its goal of around 20 percent of its sales being EVs by the year 2023. With the BMW i4 expected to be significantly cheaper than the iX SUV, it will be more accessible and will be the first to debut BMW's all-new eighth-generation iDrive operating system, unveiled yesterday. It's also meaningful in that it will be the first EV from BMW with a four-door coupe body style.

BMW seems to be following a similar path to Mercedes, with its EVs proving to be fairly conservatively styled while still clearly indicating their electric underpinnings. Will this stance be well-received? Who knows, but what's certain is that it won't be a slouch. BMW says the i4 will offer "best in class driving dynamics" and the most powerful model will be able to reach 62 mph in around four seconds thanks to an output of 523 horsepower. A maximum range of 300 miles on the EPA's cycles is being claimed. According to a recent leak from the German trademark office, the i4 variants include the eDrive35, eDrive40, and M50 xDrive - no, car model names aren't getting any simpler, but some of their designs are.