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2026 BMW i4 review

Kian Prohaska3 hours ago

14 minutes read

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BMW is about to roll out its take on the future of electric vehicles (EVs), but cars like the i4 Gran Coupe still exist to remind us how far it’s already come.

Touted as BMW’s answer to the ever-popular Tesla Model 3, the i4 arrived in Australia in 2021 and has since been a relatively strong seller in the local premium sedan segment. It’s performed particularly well against other similarly priced EVs, but the model range has been pruned for 2026.

All variants are Gone, excluding the entry-level model variant on test here the 2026 BMW i4 eDrive35. But the reasoning was that since it joined the range in 2023, most sales were based on the base trim (75 per cent) of all i4 sold and this flag is flying alone as BMW Australia awaits new stock of the new mid-size electric liftback.

The changes are based on minor exterior design tweaks, the addition of the previously unrequited M Sport Package, interior modifications and an 18km increase in driving range to 448km (drum roll, please) 449km. Although its rear-wheel drive is still standard, the upgrades are a slight price hike.

How would you describe all that is the meaning of the i4, and has it done so much to keep this in mind when BMW’s ‘Neue Klasses’ EV onslaught will be imminent?

How much does the BMW i4 cost?

A base eDrive35, $88,900 before on-roads is the only one of Australia’s last available versions of an i4 that costs $3000 over its January 2025 price tag. Despite its status, it’s still below the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold and is not subject to Fringe Benefits Tax(FBT)).

| Model | Price before on-road costs |
| — | — |
| 2026 BMW i4 eDrive35 | $88,900 |

Rivals for the i4 are an odd bunch, but one thing is clear: they’re either much cheaper or have a greater driving range. On price, the closest match is the Volvo ES90 Plus Single Motor, a rear-drive liftback sedan with more than 550km of range, priced at $88,880 before on-roads. The only caveat is that it’s noticeably larger.

At the cheaper end are the MG IM5 Platinum RWD ($69,990 drive-away) and the Tesla Model 3 Premium Long Range RWD ($61,900 before on-roads) sedans, but they have driving range claims of 655km and 750km respectively.

Though it’s technically an SUV, you might also consider the Polestar 4 Long range Single motor Plus for $86,500 before on-roads, which has a claimed range of 620km.

It’s also worth noting that the Neue Klasse BMW i3, expected to offer more than 800km of range, could be priced very competitively compared with the older i4, judging by the $109,900 (plus ORCs) price of the Neue Klasse iX3.

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What is the BMW i4 like on the inside?

The i4 eDrive35’s cabin is not as bright as the sparkle that has historically distinguished BMW interiors, although we understand it’d be an entry-level variant.

Most that is a matter of material choice, which leads to most of that. They look like cheap scratchy black plastic – see the dashboard and door cards even though most surfaces are soft to the touch.

This takes away from the slacky vibe we expect from BMW, even if there is no inherently wrong with it. The black/aluminium palette of our tester isn’t a visually interesting space either, even though it’s true to older BMWs in recent memory.

The cognac/dark wood alternative that I can choose as an optional option seems much more sexy to me. Despite the aesthetics, we were also slightly disappointed to find that many of the cabin’s fittings feel very hollow.

It can also be seen in the plastic on the dashboard, the openable cover on centre console and the ‘skeleton’ of the steering wheel. But it all is a bit of polish, and BMW fans may be well-off the plasticky feel in general.

As for every other modern BMW, the i4’s cabin is very screen-heavy in keeping with each other of its newer models. In the dashboard, a huge two-screen panel dominates and nearly every vehicle function is locked away in the 14-panel car. to the left ‘9-inch touchscreen infotainment system by 9 inches.

There’s a huge app shortcut menu to search through, which can be tiresome when you just have to adjust basic settings such as the head-up display position. The climate system is also unfortunate, either via the always-on ribbon at the bottom of the screen or by the dedicated climate menu.

The wireless phone connection is also standard, and we had no problems with Apple CarPlay in our week with the car. There are two USB ports (one USB-A and one USB–C), which you can charge your device with either the 12V outlet or the wireless charger – this is quite hot, since it’s in a closed space where no airflow flows.

The steering wheel is 12 – in front of the . BMW’s lick graphic identity is used to display 3-inch digital instrument displays with its slick graphics. A few different styles are available, but all look at the part and provide plenty of driving information once you know how to access them through the buttons on the wheel.

Stunning clicky buttons that are made out of dull and glossy plastic but large enough, labeled clearly with a big number of accents. This matches the small selection of buttons to the right of the wheel for headlight controls, as well with the central panel that has several driving controls ( BMW’s iDrive infotainment controller) and some unnecessary piano-black elements.

A modern BMW, however, is not distinguishably different from the i4 (ergonomically). It’s a very large, and leather- wrapped steering wheel that is huge in both the diameter and thickness of this. That gives the car physical substance, but doesn’t necessarily mean driving experience – we’ll explain why later.

But the seats, meanwhile are sporty but lack the strong support needed for matching matches. A little firm but they’re still supportive, though there’s a lot of powered adjustment (longside manual thigh support adjustments) and they are heated as standard. Massage and ventilation are not available in the base i4 (although massage and ventilator functions do not exist), but it is also known as an example of .

OK, to store up front is a good thing (not extraordinary) but not unusual. Two cupholders are in front of the wireless charging pad, all covered by a lid; there is also ‘an affordable storage box under the high central armrest, modest passenger-side glovebox and bottle holders in the door cards’.

Second row is slightly tight, as the i4’s ‘Gran Coupe’ proportions don’t add much more headroom than a traditional sedan and the rear doors are fairly short, impacting ingress and egress. Despite the fact that legroom isn’t terrible, there still exists plenty of room for adults sitting behind adults and so much space for them to sit.

While the outboard positions are generally comfortable, it is a bench seat itself; however, the middle is raised, narrow and only work for short drives. Another big hump from a tall driveline is also severely damaging footroom.

The front is still here, where it seems even more pronounced as the plasticky vibe of the front appears. More notably as the synthetic leather upholstery is, the door cards, centre console and front seatbacks are decidedly less so as plush as they are in the case of the .

It has a climate zone back here, which is operated by panel on the back of centre console’s front and there was at least one dedicated climate area. This is a big plus, even though its buttons are finished in glossy plastic plastic. Underpinning is also two USB-C ports for .

Once you go to boot, the benefits of a liftback sedan are clear. It’s just big.’ The huge floor, with its open – and uncompromised opening makes loading and uneloading cargo easy to do.

For context, the i4’s 470-litre capacity is smaller on paper compared to the 524L space in the Toyota Camry, for example, but the BMW’s huge opening makes all the difference. The Camry is also physically larger, but otherwise a logical mid-size sedan benchmark.

It is a must-have with such swollen hatched power tailgate, which is standard and the only one to be used as ‘power tail gate’. It’s a case of what you think is the boot, where there’re just – net and small nook on either side to offset an uneniably bare space. Another storage space under the floor, There’s a 40–2040 arrangement of rear seats split and fold for more configurability.

Unlike most other EVs, there is no under-bonnet storage. The space under the giant plastic cover looks almost completely empty, but that’s despite it being nearly entirely empty.

| Dimensions | BMW i4 |
| — | — |
| Length | 4783mm |
| Width | 1852mm |
| Height | 1448mm |
| Wheelbase | 2856mm |
| Cargo capacity | 470L (rear seats up) 1290L (rear seats folded) |

What’s under the bonnet?

The i4 eDrive35 is one rear-mounted electric motor that produces up to 210kW of power and 400Nm of torque driving the. This is the rear-wheel drive of s and energy comes from a 66-year-old. 4kWh lithium-ion battery, .

A claim on BMW’s official driving range is 448km (although it should be taken with a grain of salt) because that ‘is the more liberal test standard for this type. practice we saw a driving range of around 370km.

It is a phrase that’s well below virtually every rival with Tesla saying 520km for even the base Model 3 and so on. Some of the smaller battery models in other markets that claim to give the i4 up to 590km are available, but Australians have to cope with this.

Our week with the i4 was about driving in fairly heavy traffic, and we had a couple of longer, faster drives on open country roads.

How does the BMW i4 drive?

Just like the i4 isn’t a sports sedan, let’s say one thing straight ‘No matter what mildly unattractive M badges are all around it.

But if you’re over the deceptive branding, you will find the i4 – at least in eDrive35 form – isn’t too hard to be something it doesn’s not. Just think of the M bits as treats for an already solid car.

Once the start/stop button is available, and you know BMW’s switch-like gear selector has been adapted, you will soon find no-fuss quality to the i4. What is the most calming, warm and fast way of being funny with no risk to you.

In fact the smaller alloys and thicker sidewalls are big contributors to cabin refinement, as is more rubber for insulating its inhabitants from the road below. If you have an automobile with no burly engine to mask some of the outside noise, that’s important for in a car where there is no louder.

No M-fettled suspension or anything really fancy under the skin, as it has a positive effect on ride comfort, is also there. I still thought it was a little firmer than I expected, but it absorbs small imperfections and speed bumps without much trouble.

Also, you’ll notice that body control is very good in all places. But at high speed, it’s not floaty and will be happy to take corners without going over – there’re no rules for the unsporty wheel/tYre combination but still has some quality of a BMW here.

But it’s more confident through the turns than most other sedans, so that means you can have some fun in the i4, because this is what makes your car feel like. A notable observation is that the steering is light by BMW standards, which makes it a good friendliness for everyday use but contribute to ‘an unsubstantial feel behind the wheel’. The lack of heavy materials (such metal) on the steering wheel itself may be partly a reason for this.

You’ll probably want to play with the powertrain, because it’s going to make you feel a little surprised if you don’t have – or even had – dubbed ‘playing on drive modes’.

It’s a compelling prospect when combined with the i4’, which has its classic rear-drive configuration. A few BMW fans might be ‘fucking’ with this, though, because it isn’t as playful as that would suggest.

A great job of arresting any slip before it happens is a fantastic job, which means that in Comfort and Eco Pro drive modes there is very little control over traction control. It may be a little bit more loose in the wet, but it’s always friendly and unintimidating – good for you as the i4 isn’t he’re not.

And that said, you could ‘wake it up’ when s say. Sport mode smothers the reins of the traction control’s rein, which is just a thumping (or some rear-end movement) when you lay into the throttle while turning on the brake. While it won’t be completely disabling to you, it’s just enough to remind you that BMW still knows how to bolt a car together.

The steering also looks good, and the car just feels like a proper BMW. While you’ll still notice some of the front-end grip limitations, that doesn’t prevent your having a good time.

The feeling of backing that up is a good brake feel for s to back it up.” But even if the pedal is biased towards ‘regenerative’braking, it remains perfectly fine in its stroke and can be adjusted to – you also have several other powers of off-throttle regen like a clever ‘Adaptive’ mode.

In this, it uses the vehicle’s front radar to gauge how far away is from the car ahead and adjusts regen braking so that there remains a constant gap. While it does well, it’s a long time to be used for the ‘engine braking’ effect changing depending on traffic around you.

It is unfortunate that there’s no lane-centring function to go with the adaptive cruise control, but safety gear for the ‘i4’ is also well-calibrated.

But then, to the elephant in the room The i4’s piddly driving range is now on the e4. Though around-370km is relatively efficient, it’s not very much by today’ EV standards and the battery runs out quickly if you’re regularly driving long distances. If you drive into the city and can charge at home, of course, that’s no big deal for if you commute to the town.

It’s a little short on its nearest competitors, and the most competitive competition could come from within BMW itself. The new i3 will make the if we’re going to be dead, as is all-new mid size electric sedan coming with very competitive price.’ We expect it would cost at least 800km of range from this year and are expected to have an ‘advanced’ version for the car.

What do you get?

There’s only one i4 variant currently on sale in Australia, and the eDrive35 includes the M Sport Package as standard.

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2026 BMW i4 eDrive35 standard equipment highlights:

18-inch ‘M light’ alloy wheels
Tyre repair kit
Auto LED headlights
Rain-sensing wipers
M high-gloss exterior highlights – Shadowline
M headliner – Anthracite
M interior accents – Brushed Aluminium
Heated front sports seats
‘Sensatec’ synthetic leather upholstery – Black
Power front seat adjustment with lumbar
Driver’s seat position memory
Head-up display
12.3-inch digital instrument display
14.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
DAB+ digital radio
Satellite navigation
Wireless phone charger
1 x front USB-A port
1 x front USB-C port
2 x rear USB-C ports
10-speaker sound system
Interior ambient lighting
Tri-zone climate control
Power tailgate
Electric sunroof
‘BMW Iconic Sounds Electric’
BMW ConnectedDrive (3-year subscription)
3 drive modes:

Sport
Comfort
Eco Pro

Options

Several options are available for the i4 eDrive35.

2026 BMW i4 eDrive35 options:

19-inch M light alloy wheels ($1616)
19-inch M aerodynamic alloy wheels ($1616)
20-inch BMW Individual aerodynamic alloy wheels ($3847)
Sensatec synthetic leather upholstery – Cognac ($NCO)
Open-pore, fine-wood interior trim – Ash Grey Blue ($NCO)

Is the BMW i4 safe?

The BMW i4 has a four-star ANCAP safety rating, based on testing conducted by sister organisation Euro NCAP in 2022.

Standard safety equipment highlights:

6 airbags, incl:

Front
Front-side
Head

Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
Front and rear parking sensors
Lane-change warning
Lane departure warning
Park assist
Speed limiter
Surround-view camera
Rear cross-traffic alert
Traffic sign recognition
Tyre pressure monitoring

How much does the BMW i4 cost to run?

BMW Australia supports its model range with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. The high-voltage battery of the i4 has an eight-year, 160,000km warranty.

It doesn’t provide service intervals for the German brand’s models; its condition-based servicing policy is a way of telling your car when it’ll be time for – and even alert your dealer via connected services.

If you take your i4 in the six-year, unlimited-kilometre prepaid service plan, you won’t have to worry about paying every time you carry it on.

The rivals have said that while Volvo has yet to confirm service pricing for the ES90, servicing is free for first five years of Polestar 4 ownership and Tesla does not offer traditional servicing programs.

We can at least compare MG’s premium electric sedan, the IM5 Platinum, which costs $1802 to service over five years. It is also BMW’s own internal-combustion 3 Series and 4 Series, servicing for both of which are covered by a $2575 five-year prepaid plan.

childcareman.xyz’s Take on the BMW i4 eDrive35

The i4 is still a solid EV, with sensible prices that could save decent savings for eligible buyers. And yet it hasn’t long since the competition to make it look a bit old for , though, is not so much of an effort.

But as long as we don’t think the Australian i4 range is being stripped back to one entry-level variant (which makes sense, given BMW’s EV ambitions), its low driving speed remains an issue. Each EV at this price can drive significantly further even if it’s pretty efficient, even though every other ev is very expensive.

A bit too basic The interior is also a little more like the last part of an EV generation that’s now behind, and it seems to be one of the few people who survived. That said, “the i4 still looks great, is a nice car to drive and remains ‘good value for comparatively cheap, premium EVs.

PLUS We like cars but we love sedans and it’s so refreshing to drive a new car that isn’t an SUV. Most other EVs on sale right now are far more fun to drive, even if its electric chops are not so good and it doesn’t give you the driving engagement that many BMWs have.

It will be a very hard to see what BMW is going to look like with the Neue Klasse i3, but chances are it’ll blow this if we have an entire out of water. If the new iX3 is anything to go by, that’s what it means for .

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Thanks for reading 2026 BMW i4 review

How much does the BMW i4 cost?

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What is the BMW i4 like on the inside?

What’s under the bonnet?

How does the BMW i4 drive?

What do you get?

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Options

Is the BMW i4 safe?

How much does the BMW i4 cost to run?

childcareman.xyz’s Take on the BMW i4 eDrive35

Kian Prohaska

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