BMW i4 and 4 Series Gran Coupe treated to mid-life facelifts
Sleek electric and petrol BMW models get aesthetic and technology upgrades to keep sales up
- Updated models arriving in July
- Prices from £43,830 for the Gran Coupe and £50,365 for the i4
- Upgraded infotainment
The popular BMW i4 and the 4 Series Gran Coupe it’s based on will both benefit from a round of updates, with the first customers getting their hands on the refreshed models from July. Prices for the Gran Coupe will start from £43,830, with the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2-rivalling i4 coming in from £50,365.
What do the new i4 and 4 Series Gran Coupe’s exterior and interior look like?
The i4 has proved a hit for BMW and become its most popular EV, shifting 83,000 units worldwide during 2023. To keep its success on the boil, both it and the Gran Coupe get a subtly new design. The kidney grille is now finished in matt chrome, and the closed i4’s grille is now finished in a high-gloss black and matt-silver honeycomb pattern. With the need for extra cooling, the Gran Coupe gets air intakes with a mesh structure painted in Quartz Silver.
At the rear, both cars now get a diffuser-style rear bumper element finished in gloss black, and combustion-engined cars are fitted with tailpipes that have grown to 100mm in diameter. Both cars also gain a new design of LED headlights with arrow-shaped elements that can animate to welcome the driver as they approach the car. Versions fitted with adaptive LED headlights also get ‘Laserlight’ rear light clusters, giving them an intricate design that first made its debut in the BMW M4 CSL.
Elsewhere, there are new Cape York Green and Fire Red paint finishes and new 19 and 20-inch alloy wheel designs have been added, some of which feature a bi-colour finish for an even more striking look. M Sport Pro and M Carbon upgrade packs can make the duo look more sporting as optional extras.
Inside, the models share a new dashboard and subtly updated centre console, with updated materials and slimmed-down air vents. Buyers can also look forward to BMW’s wide-screen infotainment displays coming as standard, along with the latest Operating System 8.5 software and the option of a new augmented reality view for the sat-nav. Lastly, there’s a new two-spoke steering wheel featuring illuminated buttons in Sport trim, while M Sport versions get a leather three-spoke and flat-bottomed design.
What else do I need to know about the new BMW i4 and 4 Series Gran Coupe?
While BMW hasn’t announced major technical changes for the i4, its range figures have taken a useful step up. The i4 eDrive35 can now manage 311 miles – 12 more than the pre-facelifted car – while the eDrive40 and M50 versions can cover up to 373 miles and 324 miles respectively.
The 4 Series Gran Coupe will be offered in just two configurations, with the first badged 420i and getting 181bhp, rear-wheel drive and managing up to 42.8mpg from its 2.0-litre petrol engine. It starts from £43,830 and can get from 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds.
With 369bhp, the M440i xDrive is considerably faster, dispatching the same benchmark in 4.7 seconds, while still returning up to 34.5mpg. It gets four-wheel drive as standard and both cars are automatic gearbox-only. The M440i will make for a somewhat pricey ownership proposition, costing from £59,545 (and invoking luxury car VED road tax as a result), and with CO2 emissions from 186g/km for a high Benefit-in-Kind band. Unlike the BMW 3 Series, a plug-in hybrid version isn’t on the menu.
Want to know more? Read our in-depth reviews on the BMW i4 and 4 Series Gran Coupe
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