[Hans]

For those who live in the Netherlands this might be an interesting event. You will get the opportunity to learn about all new EV developments. And if you like you get to follow in the tracks of Max Verstappen by driving a Tesla (and other brands) around the Zandvoort circuit. Customer days on September 25th and 26th.

Experience - EV Experience

Participants:

 

[Hans]

i4 was there!

 

[Hans]

 

[Hans]

 

[Hans]

 

[Hans]

 

[Hans]

 

[Hans]

 

[DannoBills]

Awesome Hans! Are those pics you took in person? What was your overall impressions of the car in person/real life??

 

[Hans]

What was your overall impressions of the car in person/real life?

This was the 2nd time I have seen it in person. The first one still had a feel of pre-production car, but this one was really nice. My main impressions:

1. The design of the i4 works better in real life than on photos. I really like the dimensions. It does not seem to be as large as you would expect, similar proportions as the current GC.
2. Ride height seemed too high in many photo's and video's, especially at the rear. This one was fine however. There was no "adaptive mode" button, so I presume this eDrive40 was not equipped with the lower adaptive suspension. Still very ok.
3. Dravit Grau is really a very good color for the i4. Especially with this Cognac leather.
4. The kidney's are kind of glossy. The sensors are visible but not disturbing. It is a high tech grille. That's what it is and I am a fan of it.
5. Interior seems to be again a level up compared to my G21 3 series. Really very nice materials everywhere around you. Everything you would expect from an upper class BMW.
6. Displays very nice, sharp and colorful. Very brief iDrive8 impressions are overwhelming. Interface seems very intuitive.
7. First impression of M Sport seats is really good. Nice and comfortable. You can get very low. Very driver oriented cockpit.
8. Interior space in the front seems comparable to the G21 3 series. There are cars with more space, but this is really a very cosy place to be in.
9. Space in the rear, checked again, is fine if you expect something which is great for kids, and ok for adults up to 1m80. M Sport seats do seem to limit the knee room a bit more. When carrying adults in the back you probably should place the front seats further forward than you would normally do. The left front seat on the photo's is in my position, I am 1m80.
10. The trunk is nicely shaped, very easy access. Therefor not the biggest in the market, but very usable. Space under the trunk floor is very limited if you opt for Harman Kardon. Probably not usable for charging cables. The standard cables come in a nice bag, which fits in the side pockets of the trunk.
11. This car was fitted with glossy interior decals. I do not advise those as they were already severely scratched. Not a nice sight. Of course this was a demo car, but I doubt that you can completely avoid it.

BMW also brought the i3, iX3, 330e, 530e and 545e to the event. These were available for driving around the circuit. No driving allowed yet with the i4 or iX.

 

[DannoBills]

@Hans this is great! Thanks for sharing, and this is exactly what i wanted to hear!
An experience like your is why I love this Forum so much! 😁

 

[Lord]

This was the 2nd time I have seen it in person. The first one still had a feel of pre-production car, but this one was really nice. My main impressions:

1. The design of the i4 works better in real life than on photos. I really like the dimensions. It does not seem to be as large as you would expect, similar proportions as the current GC.
2. Ride height seemed too high in many photo's and video's, especially at the rear. This one was fine however. There was no "adaptive mode" button, so I presume this eDrive40 was not equipped with the lower adaptive suspension. Still very ok.
3. Dravit Grau is really a very good color for the i4. Especially with this Cognac leather.
4. The kidney's are kind of glossy. The sensors are visible but not disturbing. It is a high tech grille. That's what it is and I am a fan of it.
5. Interior seems to be again a level up compared to my G21 3 series. Really very nice materials everywhere around you. Everything you would expect from an upper class BMW.
6. Displays very nice, sharp and colorful. Very brief iDrive8 impressions are overwhelming. Interface seems very intuitive.
7. First impression of M Sport seats is really good. Nice and comfortable. You can get very low. Very driver oriented cockpit.
8. Interior space in the front seems comparable to the G21 3 series. There are cars with more space, but this is really a very cosy place to be in.
9. Space in the rear, checked again, is fine if you expect something which is great for kids, and ok for adults up to 1m80. M Sport seats do seem to limit the knee room a bit more. When carrying adults in the back you probably should place the front seats further forward than you would normally do. The left front seat on the photo's is in my position, I am 1m80.
10. The trunk is nicely shaped, very easy access. Therefor not the biggest in the market, but very usable. Space under the trunk floor is very limited if you opt for Harman Kardon. Probably not usable for charging cables. The standard cables come in a nice bag, which fits in the side pockets of the trunk.
11. This car was fitted with glossy interior decals. I do not advise those as they were already severely scratched. Not a nice sight. Of course this was a demo car, but I doubt that you can completely avoid it.

BMW also brought the i3, iX3, 330e, 530e and 545e to the event. These were available for driving around the circuit. No driving allowed yet with the i4 or iX.

Great description Hans!

Something I noticed earlier in the configurator and its visible in Hans' back seats photo is another difference between sensatec cognac and leather cognac which is the back surface of the front seats. Black plastic for the leather instead of sensatec all around.

 

[J78]

This was the 2nd time I have seen it in person. The first one still had a feel of pre-production car, but this one was really nice. My main impressions:

1. The design of the i4 works better in real life than on photos. I really like the dimensions. It does not seem to be as large as you would expect, similar proportions as the current GC.
2. Ride height seemed too high in many photo's and video's, especially at the rear. This one was fine however. There was no "adaptive mode" button, so I presume this eDrive40 was not equipped with the lower adaptive suspension. Still very ok.
3. Dravit Grau is really a very good color for the i4. Especially with this Cognac leather.
4. The kidney's are kind of glossy. The sensors are visible but not disturbing. It is a high tech grille. That's what it is and I am a fan of it.
5. Interior seems to be again a level up compared to my G21 3 series. Really very nice materials everywhere around you. Everything you would expect from an upper class BMW.
6. Displays very nice, sharp and colorful. Very brief iDrive8 impressions are overwhelming. Interface seems very intuitive.
7. First impression of M Sport seats is really good. Nice and comfortable. You can get very low. Very driver oriented cockpit.
8. Interior space in the front seems comparable to the G21 3 series. There are cars with more space, but this is really a very cosy place to be in.
9. Space in the rear, checked again, is fine if you expect something which is great for kids, and ok for adults up to 1m80. M Sport seats do seem to limit the knee room a bit more. When carrying adults in the back you probably should place the front seats further forward than you would normally do. The left front seat on the photo's is in my position, I am 1m80.
10. The trunk is nicely shaped, very easy access. Therefor not the biggest in the market, but very usable. Space under the trunk floor is very limited if you opt for Harman Kardon. Probably not usable for charging cables. The standard cables come in a nice bag, which fits in the side pockets of the trunk.
11. This car was fitted with glossy interior decals. I do not advise those as they were already severely scratched. Not a nice sight. Of course this was a demo car, but I doubt that you can completely avoid it.

BMW also brought the i3, iX3, 330e, 530e and 545e to the event. These were available for driving around the circuit. No driving allowed yet with the i4 or iX.

Great info Hans, thank you!
The adaptive button might be missing from all i4, as the m50 also doesn’t have it. Good to hear about comfyness of the m sport seats. I added for the looks but was afraid they would be harder than sport seats. Very good to hear the charging cables can be well stored on the sides, I was also afraid that with the HK system the space left would be to small for cables. Agree with interior trim shiny black being to scratchy. My x3 has some parts with glossy plastic in center console and is somewhat scratched in almost 3 years. Better to choose aluminum or matte wood.

 

[Hans]

The adaptive button might be missing from all i4, as the m50 also doesn’t have it..

The configurator is still showing it, so I still have hope.

 

[J78]

The configurator is still showing it, so I still have hope.

You’re right

 

[Inception]

Super cool, thanks for sharing with us, Hans.
I think this will be my setup. Did you get a chance to look at the leather dash and sunroof? Did it have leather on the top of the doors, or was it just plastic? Those are the things I’m considering cutting from my config.
Wondering which interior material is the best looking in person, is the standard aluminum pattern actually plastic?

 

[Hans]

Did you get a chance to look at the leather dash and sunroof?
Did it have leather on the top of the doors, or was it just plastic? Those are the things I’m considering cutting from my config.
Wondering which interior material is the best looking in person, is the standard aluminum pattern actually plastic?

The sunroof did not work, so I did still not find out whether it will fully open. I checked on several 4 Coupe's in the meanwhile and not a single sunroof would open all the way. So I guess there is our answer.

This car was equipped with the leather dash. However I did not notice it until I reviewed my photos at home. So it is probably not such a big difference compared to my current 3 series which has the standard dash. In the Netherlands the i4 comes equipped with the Sensatec dashboard as standard. I don't know if it is the same in other countries. The sensatec is already an improvement for me and that will have to do. It will cover the dash but probably not the door panels. For me personally I would not spend the extra money on the leather dash. I think it's one of those things you will only really notice for a short period after delivery. But it may make a lot of sense if you prefer a black dash combined with non-black seats.

 

[Inception]

Thanks for that info. Yeah, I would prefer it like on the pictures, where it's black under the dash, but with the Cognac seats. It's a bit much to have it both places for my taste. But for 1000 euros.. It's as much as a new iPhone.

 

[J78]

Great info Hans, thank you!
The adaptive button might be missing from all i4, as the m50 also doesn’t have it. Good to hear about comfyness of the m sport seats. I added for the looks but was afraid they would be harder than sport seats. Very good to hear the charging cables can be well stored on the sides, I was also afraid that with the HK system the space left would be to small for cables. Agree with interior trim shiny black being to scratchy. My x3 has some parts with glossy plastic in center console and is somewhat scratched in almost 3 years. Better to choose aluminum or matte wood.

I took some pics of my x3 g01 glossy plastics in center console.

In reality you are far away than the camera and you notice a lot less, but still…

Also an image from the M aluminum trim in center console that although is already scratchy it’s hard to notice.