A DRIVER who tested a major brand’s Tesla-rivalling EV has pointed out two irritating features that put a downer on the car’s excellent quality.
Tim Levin took the £54,000 motor for a spin and was largely impressed, but couldn’t help but feel it could be a little better.
Writing for Insider, Tim enjoyed a week with the “sporty and stylish” BMW i4 and came away with a smile on his face.
He was driving a slightly higher-spec version of the car, lent to him by Beemer, while the base model starts at about £41,000.
That is around £10,000 more expensive than the cheapest Tesla, the rear-wheel drive Model 3, but is about the same price as the “performance” spec of the same model.
Tim praised the “familiarity” of the BMW’s layout, saying that it “barely feels different” to the manufacturer’s internal combustion-powered models.
However, he did feel that this was a “double-edged sword” as the emphasis on continuity meant that the i4 misses out on some of the quirky and ingenious features that many owners love about electric cars.
He wrote: “An accessible overall package means that the i4 misses out on some of the attributes that make EVs uniquely appealing.
“For instance, BMW could have made room for a front trunk, since there’s no engine under the hood.
“Rivals like the Polestar 2 and Tesla Model 3 offer handy storage up there. But BMW opted not to.”
Tim also cited the “hump” between the rear seats that is usually there to accommodate the transmission system in a traditional car, but in the i4 simply restricts leg room for passengers.
Secondly, he also took issues with the regenerative braking system.
This futuristic tech allows EVs to recover charge while automatically braking by using the rotational force of the wheels to generate small amounts of electricity.
All the driver has to do is lift their foot off the accelerator and the car will slow to a stop while charging up.
In the i4, Tim explained, the system is responsive to your environment, meaning that it will brake more aggressively if it detects an obstacle or turn but will coast if on an empty, straight road.
While this is a “neat idea”, he did feel that it added too much unpredictability to the braking, leaving the driver “guessing”.
Nonetheless, Tim was left content with the car and felt it more than fit BMW’s billing as the “ultimate driving machine”.
He added: “The sports sedan is riotously fun to flick around corners thanks to its planted handling, thrilling quickness, and agile steering.
“It feels sturdily built and cocoons you in high-quality materials.
“Much like the Polestar 2 which it competes with, the i4 employs a hatch instead of a conventional trunk, meaning you get some bonus vertical room for bulky cargo.”
In particular, he singled out the build quality as a key selling point over the Model 3, which he claimed does not offer the same luxury.
BMW declined to comment.
It comes after a major brand announced plans to launch an “affordable EV” as many customers are priced out of the electric market.
Meanwhile, Google unveiled the world’s first AI car – and it has no steering wheel.
