BMW i4 Is A Moose Test Disappointment, No Match For Tesla Model 3

The RWD i4’s speed through the obstacle avoidance maneuver was 10 km/h or 6 mph off a Model 3 Performance.

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Andrei Nedelea

By: Andrei Nedelea

Jul 19, 2022 at 11:31am ET

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The imaginary moose that has to be avoided in order to see just how quickly a car changes direction and how stable it is during sudden maneuvers has put the BMW i4 in a bad light. After recently only managing to score four out of five safety stars with EuroNCAP, the i4 adds another disappointment to its folder, this time one that may really matter to fans of the brand and driving enthusiasts alike.

When Km77 began putting electric vehicles through its moose test, especially ones that were based on an ICE vehicle, most didn’t do very well, or they performed visibly worse than the fuel-burning versions. Then bespoke EVs arrived on the scene, and the likes of the Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model 3 posted remarkably good results, surpassing many very sporty combustion vehicles.

The highest moose test entry speed they managed to achieve with the i4, which was the entry level eDrive 40 with only rear-wheel drive, was 73 km/h or 45.3 mph, way slower than the Tesla Model 3 (83 km/h / 51.5 mph) or the Taycan Turbo S (78 km/h / 48 mph). The i4 in this test was riding staggered 19-inch wheels shod in good quality and grippy Hankook Ventus summer tires.

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Could its performance have been improved if it had some expensive, high-performance tires instead of the Hankooks? Sure, but probably not by enough for it to challenge the Tesla or the Porsche...

In the slalom test, the i4 performed reasonably well with its traction and stability nannies activated. However, during the second run with all systems off, the driver actually loses control of the vehicle and ends up crashing it into the plastic barriers on the side of the track - we don’t remember seeing another vehicle behave like this in any other Km77 video.

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