MOTORS BMW’s all-electric i4

ALL FOUR ONE AND FOUR FOR ALL

BMW’s all-new i4 is an essential car for the brand, set to compete with plug-in hybrids and all-electric cars at a price point where both luxury and volume sales are important...

Words: Rob Davis.

BMW’S 3-SERIES is one of the company’s biggest sellers, and has long been a class leader in the compact executive segment. The current model remains popular and has both combustion and plug-in hybrid variants, but as the transition towards electrification continues and Tesla’s Model 3 continues to be popular, BMW can’t afford to be left behind when it comes to producing compact executive vehicles with electric powertrains. Its new i4 is the car that will spiritually succeed its 3-Series, and is due to reach UK showrooms this month. There are three versions; the i40 eDrive40 in Sport and M Sport trim, and the flagship i4 M50. Utilising electricity as its sole means of power, all three variants offer all of the performance you need, so our advice would be to stick with the entry level Sport model. The eDrive40 powertrain accelerates the car to 60mph in 5.7 seconds and on to a capped 118mph. Electric range is 367 miles, which should prevent any nervousness about running out of power mid-journey. Should you need to break up a long journey, a stop at the motorway services for a 10-minute top-up from a DC charger will yield an extra 102 miles of range. Prices for the i4 kick off at just under £52,000, and there are four doors, a decent boot and a handsome coupé-like profile to ensure the car is practical enough for day to day driving. As you venture further up the range, styling becomes more aggressive, but

Power to the People: Electric vehicles go mainstream...

Tesla Model 3 Standard Plus £40,490: Whilst Tesla models higher in the range are costly – and far too fast in our opinion – the Standard Plus version of its Model 3 looks rather good value. Power adjustable and heated front seats, sunroof, and full connectivity are all standard. The car also has a range of 278 miles, and will reach 60mph in 5.3 seconds. What it lacks, though, is BMW’s cabin ergonomics and the rather more polished interior – Model 3, when compared the i4, is a little plasticky and dull. n

Mercedes Benz EQC £65,720: You’ll pay a premium for the EQC but you’ll also know why. For a start the car is a five seater with a decent boot but it also has an SUV body style with all-wheel drive transmission. You’ll find the extra ground clearance and traction handy in our part of the world compared to the lower and sleeker profile of the i4. 60mph is reached in 5.1 seconds, and the EQC’s range is 255 miles. Top speed is 112mph, and standard kit includes Mercedes’s MBUX sat nav and music interface, heated Artico seats, cruise and climate controls. n

Kia EV6 GT-Line S £51,245: In a relatively short space of time, Kia has transitioned from a budget car brand to a hugely respected manufacturer of some superb cars. Its EV6 is a decent size SUV that’s loaded with equipment. With a 77.4kWh motor, power is 321bhp, top speed is 116mph and 60mph is reached in 5.2 seconds. The GT-Line S has a range of 300 miles and comes with adaptive cruise, remote smart parking, 360° camera, wireless phone charing, heated front and rear seats, sunroof and heated steering wheel. n 122 we think the Sport, with its 17” rims and therefore slightly softer ride is a better bet.

And speaking of standard equipment, rear wheel drive and automatic transmission with a single ratio with no ‘steps’ are standard, as it sprung suspension, with air suspension an optional extra.

BMW’s Live Cockpit Plus is also standard, with DAB radio, 12.3” and 14.9” digital cockpits and navigation. Equipment standard to all versions includes a reversing camera, Parking Assistant, automatic air conditioning, ambient lighting and LED lights front and back. Ordinarily packaged options irritate me, and at £3,800 the Technology Plus Pack is tantamount to a whole extra trim level, but it provides a

very nice Harman Kardon stereo upgrade, Driving Assistant Professional software which includes adaptive cruise control, and Parking Assistant Plus which includes a top-view camera, and automatic parallel and perpendicular parking. It also includes a dashcam and wireless phone charging, and as an overall package, we think that’ll add more value than opting for the MSport trim over the standard Sport version. Should budget allow, the Comfort Plus pack with its keyless entry, heated steering wheel and electric front seats is also worth considering. BMW as a car manufacturer has always majored on driving pleasure, and the i4 is on-message with that aim, enjoying a 50/50 weight distribution, a wider track than the 3-Series and the instant power that an electric powertrain affords. The i4 really is BMW at its best. A simple lineup of trims, a good blend of range and performance, plus handsome looks and the practicality of four seats and a decent boot all mean it’ll prove easy to live with, future proof and really desirable too. n

BMW i4 SPORT

Price: £51,905 (on sale Nov). Powertrain: 80kWh electric motor 430Nm torque, 340hp, single speed auto gearbox, RWD. Performance: 0-62 mph: 5.7 seconds. Top Speed: 118mph. WLTP 367mpg. Equipment: Sat nav, heated seats, cruise, reversing camera, automatic tailgate. n Listers BMW, 01205 350000.

Three wheels for thrills

MORGAN ANNOUNCES ITS INTENTION TO RELEASE AN ALL-NEW THREE WHEELER MODEL POWERED BY FORD

MORGAN If you’re seeking to place an example of true individuality on your driveway, there are few motor cars as unique as a Morgan, and still fewer than a Morgan that’s short of a wheel. Order books closed for the three-wheeler Morgan in January 2021, but happily the firm has released an image of its replacement; this prototype of its all new tricycle model. Whilst many details on the new model are yet to be announced, the use of an internal combustion engine can be confirmed. Specifically, a naturally aspirated inline three-cylinder Ford engine, which continues the company’s long-standing use of Ford powerplants. The model is designed to appeal to those who love the idea of a unique weekend tourer. n FORD Harold Baggott is 101 and recently enjoyed a test drive in a brand new Ford Mustang Mach-E electric car, 91 years after learning to drive in a Ford Model T. Harold had his first taste of getting behind the wheel aged 10, driving the family’s milkman’s delivery float on a farm. He went on to get his license in 1936 (the first year they were introduced), and purchased his first car, a Ford 8 Popular in 1937, for £100, buying 20 more Fords since. n

101 year old Harold’s verdict on 90 years of progress...

One careful owner... Mr Toad!

WIND IN THE WILLOWS CAR MAKES APPEARANCE AT BEAULIEU, AND HAPPILY, IT WAS DRIVEN WITH A BIT MORE CARE! BEAULIEU Visitors to the Beaulieu motor museum have enjoyed seeing Mr Toad’s car from Kenneth Grahame’s classic story Wind in the Willows this summer. The four-wheeled star was last driven by Terry Jones in the 1996 film adaption of the story.

Despite looking like an Edwardian tourer, the car has a bespoke Roi-de-Belges style bodywork but is actually a short wheelbase Land Rover in terms of its chassis and running gear.

The car was rediscovered by car fan Gordon Grant in a sorry state in 2020 and was restored at the National Motor Museum ready to ride again! Poop poop, as Mr Toad would say! n

MOTORING NEWS

In Brief

POPULAR COLOURS

ANY COLOUR YOU LIKE... AS LONG AS IT’S BLACK!

Henry Ford famously promised his customers they could order their vehicles in any colour they wanted, as long as that colour was black. These days we’ve a rather wider choice of colours to choose from, but black and silver remain the UK’s most popular colours in which to order their new car.

Black is the UK’s favourite colour for a used car by a long way, according to new data covering the second quarter of 2021. Between April and June this year, 461,050 black used cars were purchased in the UK, making it the most popular colour by a margin of nearly 100,000 transactions. Leicestershire was the most popular part of the UK for pink cars - 23.7 per cent of the UK’s total for 2020 were registered there! The UK’s most popular car colours for 2021...

Black: 461,050 Silver: 363,529 Blue: 362,140 Grey: 341,950 White: 303,192 Red: 220,472 Green: 38,573 Orange: 16,289 Beige: 11,957 Yellow: 11,415 n

Louise Langton, Office Manager and Alister Green, Agent.

Looking for Investment Opportunities?

It’s important to make plans so you can look forward with confidence to your own, and your family’s future. That’s why it makes sense to review your finances and investments, and put appropriate arrangements for the future in place now...

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Find Out More: NFU Mutual’s Mid-Lincolnshire agency has offices in Bourne, Boston and Sleaford. For a no-obligation discussion of your circumstances, call 01529 302437 or see www.nfumutual.co.uk.

Please remember if we recommend any investments their value can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you have invested. NFU Mutual Financial Advisers advise on NFU Mutual products and selected products from specialist providers. When you contact us we’ll explain the advice services we offer and the charges. Financial advice is provided by NFU Mutual Select Investments Limited. S M Green, A R Green & J R Musson is an appointed representative of The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited (No.111982). And an introducer to NFU Mutual Select Investments Limited, a member of the NFU Mutual group of companies.

PICTURE THIS

Steaming into Lincolnshire...

THE AWESOME FLYING SCOTSMAN MAKES A FLYING VISIT TO SLEAFORD, SPALDING, BOSTON, WAINFLEET AND SKEGNESS

SLEAFORD Back in November 1934, if you were in a hurry, and if you were looking to make an entrance, there really was only one way to travel. Built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) at the Doncaster Rail Works to specifications by the creator of the A1 loco, Sir Herbert Nigel Gresley CBE, the 60103 Flying Scotsman was the first ever locomotive to officially reach 100mph. The locomotive also set a record for the longest non-stop run by a steam engine by travelling 422 miles in 1989 whilst in Australia. Retiring from service in 1963, the loco had at that point notched up over 2m miles. The locomotive cost £7,944 when new (about £330,000 today). It weighs 97 tonnes and is 70ft in length. It was originally numbered 1472, then 4472 and received its nickname completing the daily 10am London to Edinburgh service. In 1948 it was renumbered 60103 and painted blue, then green, until its retirement in 1963. In 1963, Alan Pegler bought the Flying Scotsman in 1963 and restored it ready for its return to the rails back in 2016. n