The third offering from the BMW’s i sub-brand is revealed in the patent images. The car is expected to sit between the i3 and i8. It is uncertain whether the car will be branded as the i4 or i5 but what’s sure is it will be a five-door elongated version of the i3.
The car in the pictures gets the suicide doors hinged at the rear, just like in the i3, with a missing B-pillar and centre door-handles. The floating roof and distinctive designs are carried forward, just like the kidney grille and the headlamps, from the previous two cars. It is longer than the i3 and the rear take cues from the i8 but with a taller height and a squared off tail, intended for the aerodynamics as seen in other hybrid vehicles. The bonnet and the front bumper incorporates air vents with the aerodynamically raked windscreen and roofline completing the profile.
BMW recently trademarked the badges from i1 to i9 for its line-up, but what’s still uncertain is whether this leaked patent would be the big hatch named i4 or the crossover SUV dubbed the i5. The car may even be complete electric vehicle rather than a range-extended hybrid. The car could also come with BMW’s latest technology in autonomous driving. When launched, it will directly rival the Tesla’s Model 3.
No further details about any features of the cars are revealed yet, neither are the launch details of the new i. Nothing could be said further about the upcoming i vehicle until official words are out. But actions at the BMW will be at a quicker pace now that there’s a decrease in sales of the i3 and i8, and with the announcement of arch-rival Mercedes Benz’s new EQ sub-brand. The Bavarian manufacturer also intends to launch electric versions of the Mini and it's X3 in the coming years.
