BMW i4 Review

The BMW i4 occupies a very useful middle ground in the current EV market. It’s not trying to be a futuristic flagship like the BMW iX, and it’s not pretending to be a bargain alternative to a Tesla. Instead, it takes a format buyers already understand – the sleek, slightly coupé-like hatchback of the 4 Series Gran Coupé – and electrifies it without disrupting what made the original appealing.

That matters because the EV market still has a habit of pushing buyers towards SUVs whether they want them or not. Many electric saloons are either very expensive or very style-led, while more affordable EVs often lean heavily on minimalist design or a tech-first character. The BMW i4 feels more conventional than that, but in this case, conventional is a virtue.

It is also a very complete product. The cabin is excellent, the driving position is spot on, the performance is strong right through the range, and the liftback body makes it more practical than some direct rivals.

The BMW i4 also shows how far BMW has come with electric cars. The i3 was innovative and distinctive, but it always felt like a special case. The BMW i4 feels like a mainstream BMW that just happens to be electric, and for many buyers, that will be more appealing.

There is another advantage here, too. Because the BMW i4 is not trying too hard to advertise its electric credentials, it should age gracefully. It looks sharp without being gimmicky, and the interior feels more timeless than some screen-heavy alternatives.

This is why the BMW i4 remains such a strong proposition. It doesn’t reinvent the executive EV. It simply gets most of the important things right.

For most buyers, the best BMW i4 is the BMW i4 eDrive40 in M Sport trim. The BMW i4 eDrive40 sits in the sweet spot of the range because it combines the larger battery, the strongest range figure and more than enough performance to make the car feel special. Its 340PS output is brisk rather than outrageous, and the rear-wheel-drive layout still gives the BMW i4 a pleasingly balanced feel from behind the wheel.

The entry-level BMW i4 eDrive35 is still worth considering if budget matters most. It gets you into the same basic car for less money, and 286PS is hardly a hardship. But the larger battery and extra range of the BMW i4 eDrive40 make it easier to recommend as the all-rounder.

The BMW i4 M60 xDrive is deeply impressive and savagely quick, but it’s best thought of as the indulgent option rather than the rational one. Unless you specifically want the extra pace and all-wheel drive, the BMW i4 eDrive40 is the more complete choice.

The BMW i4 currently starts at £51,270 for the BMW i4 eDrive35 Sport. The BMW i4 eDrive35 M Sport rises to £53,540, while the BMW i4 eDrive40 starts at £59,065. At the top of the range, the BMW i4 M60 xDrive comes in at £71,525.

That means the BMW i4 isn’t cheap, even by premium-EV standards. It sits above a Tesla Model 3 and BYD Seal on price, and it does ask a meaningful premium over the equivalent combustion-engined 4 Series Gran Coupé.

The counter-argument is that it mostly feels worth it. The cabin is plusher than many rivals, the driving experience is more polished than the price-equivalent Tesla, and the BMW i4 still has a useful sense of occasion about it.

The Tesla Model 3 remains one of the BMW i4’s clearest rivals because it offers similar performance and range for less money. It also has the charging-network advantage, though the BMW i4 counters with a far nicer interior and a more polished overall driving experience.

The Polestar 2 is another obvious alternative if you want a premium electric fastback with a more understated image and a cabin that majors on Scandinavian simplicity. It still makes a convincing case, though it’s not quite as engaging to drive as the BMW.

The BYD Seal is also worth considering because it undercuts the BMW i4 on price while still offering strong range, generous equipment and serious pace in its more powerful forms.

Beyond those three, some buyers will inevitably also look at cars such as the Hyundai Ioniq 6 or a Tesla Model Y, depending on whether style, value or extra space matters most. The BMW i4 makes most sense if you want something that feels overtly premium and still genuinely enjoyable to drive.

The BMW i4’s 470-litre boot is a real asset because the hatchback-style opening makes it far easier to use than the narrower saloon boots fitted to some rivals. That means the BMW i4 is more practical than a Tesla Model 3 in day-to-day use, even if the headline capacity figures are not wildly different. Access is simply easier, and there is useful underfloor storage for cables and smaller items.

Fold the rear seats, and you get up to 1,290 litres of cargo space, which gives the BMW i4 a decent amount of load flexibility for a car that still looks this sleek.

Passenger space is more mixed. There is plenty of room up front, and the driving position is excellent, but rear headroom is compromised slightly by the roofline, and the centre rear seat is best treated as occasional use only.

The BMW i4 measures 4,783mm long, 1,852mm wide & 1,448mm high. Those proportions help explain the car’s appeal – it’s long and low enough to feel properly sleek, but it’s not so wide or ungainly that it becomes stressful to use every day.

The BMW i4’s stance also helps it look more purposeful than many EV rivals, which is a small but meaningful part of the car’s appeal.

BMW’s curved display setup remains one of the strongest infotainment installations in the business. It combines a 12.3-inch digital driver display with a 14.9-inch central touchscreen and gives the BMW i4 a properly modern feel without tipping into gimmickry.

The system itself is fast, sharp and packed with features. BMW’s Operating System 8.5 has also helped tidy up some of the user interface and improve the navigation presentation.

There’s still a learning curve because BMW’s menus are deep, but the presence of the iDrive rotary controller makes the whole thing easier to use than some touch-only rivals. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, too.

BMW gives the i4 a fairly broad spread of interior finishes, depending on trim. Sport models use Dark Graphite matt trim as standard, while M Sport cars switch to Aluminium Rhombicle Anthracite. If you want something less technical-looking, BMW also offers Fineline Light open-pored wood, Grey Blue Ash open-pored wood and M interior trim carbon fibre. 

Seat materials vary too. Sportier versions use M Performtex as standard, while Sensatec perforated upholstery is also part of the range. Vernasca leather with decorative quilting is available as an option, including a black and red bi-colour finish, and BMW Individual Merino leather can be specified in three colours if you want something richer. BMW also offers a Sensatec-covered luxury instrument panel, plus optional CraftedClarity glass for the gear selector, iDrive controller and start-stop button.

The current BMW i4 range is built around three powertrain choices. The BMW i4 eDrive35 uses a 67.1kWh usable battery and a single rear-mounted motor producing 286PS. It manages 0-62mph in six seconds and offers up to 306 miles of WLTP range.

The BMW i4 eDrive40 moves up to the larger 81.3kWh usable battery and 340PS, cutting the 0-62mph time to 5.6 seconds while offering up to 368 miles of WLTP range.

Then there’s the BMW i4 M60 xDrive, which uses the larger battery with two motors and all-wheel drive. Output rises to 601PS, and 0-62mph drops to a startling 3.7 seconds, though range falls to up to 338 miles.

For most buyers, the BMW i4 eDrive40 is the best fit. It has more than enough pace, the strongest range and the most convincing overall balance.

The BMW i4 does a superb job of hiding its mass. The battery pack sits low in the chassis, which helps the car feel planted and controlled, and BMW has retained enough of its traditional handling character that the BMW i4 still feels like something keen drivers can enjoy.

The steering is sharp and direct, and while it is not overflowing with traditional feedback from the road surface, it gives the BMW i4 a level of accuracy many EV rivals lack. The rear-wheel-drive eDrive35 and eDrive40 models in particular feel pleasingly balanced.

Body control is excellent, too. The BMW i4 changes direction neatly, resists roll well and feels more tied down than plenty of electric SUVs that might otherwise tempt the same buyers.

Ride comfort is strong overall, helped by the standard rear air suspension. It never feels especially soft, but it is controlled and mature, and that suits the BMW i4’s character well.

The BMW i4 M60 xDrive is hugely fast and entertaining, but the extra weight and traction of the twin-motor setup make it feel slightly less delicate than the rear-drive cars. That is why the BMW i4 eDrive40 remains the enthusiast’s pick.

Refinement is excellent. Wind and road noise are impressively well suppressed, and the BMW i4 feels relaxed at a cruise in the way an expensive electric hatchback should. The only unnecessary intrusion is the artificial IconicSounds soundtrack, which some drivers will switch off almost immediately.

The BMW i4 earned a four-star Euro NCAP safety rating in 2022. That’s not a poor result, but it stands out when five-star scores are so common these days. BMW’s standard Driving Assistant suite is still generous, though, and includes a broad spread of modern assistance systems.

Buyers can also add Driving Assistant Professional if they want a more comprehensive package of active-safety and semi-autonomous support features.

Range is one of the BMW i4’s strengths. The BMW i4 eDrive35 offers up to 306 miles, the BMW i4 eDrive40 up to 368 miles and the BMW i4 M60 xDrive up to 338 miles. Those are strong figures, particularly for the BMW i4 eDrive40, which remains one of the more convincing long-distance premium EVs at this price.

Charging performance is strong, too. The larger-battery cars support DC charging at up to 205kW, while the BMW i4 eDrive35 charges at up to 180kW. BMW quotes a very useful range gain in 10 minutes on a high-power charger, and 10-80% sessions are competitive too.

AC charging is 11kW as standard, which means an overnight home charge is straightforward enough.

BMW provides a three-year unlimited-mileage warranty on the BMW i4. The high-voltage battery is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles.

Servicing follows BMW’s condition-based approach rather than old-fashioned fixed annual schedules. For EVs, BMW Service Inclusive can cover the service vehicle check, microfilter and brake fluid up to the car’s fifth birthday with no mileage restriction.

That should make the BMW i4 relatively easy to maintain, though BMW dealer labour is unlikely to feel cheap once any included plan expires.

Insurance groups for the current BMW i4 range run from 35 to 43. The BMW i4 eDrive35 and BMW i4 eDrive40 sit at the lower end, while the BMW i4 M60 xDrive predictably rises higher. That is expensive, but not surprising for a premium electric car with this level of performance.

The BMW i4 now pays the standard annual VED rate after year one, which is £200 for zero-emission cars.

Because every BMW i4 costs more than the £50,000 threshold that now applies to electric cars, it also attracts the Expensive Car Supplement. Under the current 2026 rates, that adds £440 a year in years two to six, taking the total annual VED bill to £640 during that period.