Nose ahead
BMW’s sixth pure electric car is cunningly disguised as the all new Series This is the seventh generation of the company’s rangetopper but the rules have changed There will be petrols and a diesel but the electric i moves centre stage as BMW reframes the luxury car experience around onboard well being a class leading digital experience via its new OS and standard setting sustainability And also a huge rear entertainment screen that folds out of the roof Who doesn’t love the idea of that?
The Series’ new look is not as crowd pleasing The internet seems to think this is more proof that BMW has lost its marbles But all is not lost Go for the right colour render all the shiny bits in gloss black and the i looks defiantly compellingly different That huge grille illuminates at night and the upper lights are the focal point with the option of Swarovski “iconic glow” crystal glass Importantly the new Series is also very aerodynamically efficient In EV land slipperiness equates to efficiency and the i ’s drag coefficient is just
Bigger in every dimension and more rigid the Series uses a new steel and aluminium flexible vehicle architecture engineered from the start to accommodate three different drive types The i xDrive has a combined bhp from two electric motors its hardware very similar to the set up in the excellent iX The front motor delivers bhp the rear one bhp with lb ft of torque overall The claimed mph time is seconds and the i ’s top speed is limited to mph
The lithium ion battery pack provides kWh of useable energy and with a cell height of just mm it sits comfortably under the floor BMW claims between and mpkWh and a range of up to miles on a full charge Find a kW fast charger and you’ll add miles in about minutes That’s the sort of mid journey energy bump that matters in the real world
BMW’s mastery of the ICE is a given but drive the i following a stint in the i and even a diehard petrolhead would have their faith tested Both are hushed effortless and feel spectacularly well engineered and dynamic but electrification suits this sort of car Despite its suboptimal tonne mass the i is an amazingly fluent machine The ride is sublime courtesy of new double wishbones at the front a five link set up on the rear with self levelling air suspension and electronically controlled dampers Electric power steering is standard and active steering an option that brings with it rear steering up to and a low speed nimbleness and improved cornering acuity Executive Drive Pro adds a V anti roll
stabilisation system that also suppresses body vibrations And it can really move And stop the friction brakes and regenerative element are seamlessly combined
There’s also the full suite of assistance systems as we inch ever closer to autonomous driving Too many to list here but once again we wonder if modern cars are basically infantilising the driver
What an interior this car has The Curved Display is core to BMW’s push to digitalisation and combines a in instrument display behind the wheel with a longer in main infotainment glass touchscreen It’s so well done you barely notice the absence of physical switchgear
Audio navigation Apple CarPlay and so on live in individual customisable tiles Beneath the central screen is the new full width backlit and crystalline ‘Interaction Bar’ It takes its colour cues from whichever of the ‘My Modes’ you’ve gone for This also alters the sound signature as codeveloped with Hollywood movie soundtrack superstar Hans Zimmer offering a variety of escalating scifi whooshes Automatic doors are also new push the brake pedal to close the driver’s door or push a little button on the dash The multifunctional seats are absolutely magnificent the optional wool cashmere trim sustainable and tactile Various interior treatments are available for the wood and metals The overall effect is absolutely dazzling As is the much anticipated
in K Theatre Screen which folds out of a recess in the headlining and has builtin Amazon Fire TV connectivity Order the Executive Lounge option and you’ll get perhaps the finest seat ever fitted in a car the front passenger one slides and tilts forward leaving the rear occupant free to recline to a record
BMW has thrown everything it knows at the Series The i in particular is a fearsome techno onslaught but there’s charisma here too It’s a stellar achievement
“THE INTERNET SEEMS TO THINK THIS IS MORE PROOF THAT BMW HAS LOST ITS MARBLES”