BMW has always been known for its sporty saloons, and the new i4 takes that archetype into brave new territory. This is the brand’s first EV saloon, which is supposed to tweak and repackage that defining BMW hallmark – driving enjoyment – for the electric age.   

To help it do that, the BMW i4 comes equipped from the factory with Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 tyres (in 245/40R19 front and 255/40R19 rear sizes), a fact we discovered at the car’s launch in Singapore recently. This is an observation that delighted us, as the Ventus S1 evo3 – despite being a performance-oriented tyre – handily won the Premium Comfort category at AUTA’s 2022 tyre test. 

We thought Hankook were being overly optimistic when they entered the Ventus S1 evo3 into the Comfort category, given the emphasis on comfort and refinement required, but this Korean tyre exceeded our expectations. That it dominated the class in terms of grip and braking in both dry and wet conditions was absolutely no surprise, but the fact that it recorded a joint second place in the noise test certainly did.

We feel that this tyre makes a great pairing with the BMW i4, because its performance characteristics should help the car’s dynamic qualities shine through, while its low noise profile will go hand in hand with the increased silence and refinement that’s inherent to all EVs.

Read all about the i4’s Singapore launch here

As for the i4 itself, that’s available in Singapore initially as a S$311,988 eDrive40 model, with 340hp and 430Nm from its rear-mounted electric motor giving it a 0-100km/h time of 5.7 seconds. In Q3 2022, the first-ever M-badged EV, the 544hp/795Nm i4 M50, will follow along as well.

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