Overview

The BMW i4 is an electric sedan that skips the hyperbole. Instead, it focuses on blending the brand’s rich history of creating refined, fun-to-drive sedans with a modern EV powertrain. The four-door i4 sedan shares some underpinnings and visual cues with the vaunted 3-series and 4-series Gran Coupe but presents its EV status as a bonus, not a consolation prize. We tend to agree, as the i4 easily earned a place on our Editors’ Choice List. The i4 is offered in four potencies, ranging from 282 horsepower in the base rear-drive eDrive35 all the way up to 523 horsepower in the all-wheel drive M50. All i4s provide a remarkably well-balanced chassis and comfortable ride but complaints regarding a lack of steering feel and feedback persist among the otherwise generally glowing comments in the logbook of our long-term i4 xDrive40. Beyond that, the contemporary BMW interior quality is up to snuff, and the tasteful and functional infotainment system-and-instrument screen offers high-resolution and rich colors, without, critically, letting the horizontally oriented screen overwhelm the interior. Combined with the handsome four-door profile, a handy liftback hatch to ease cargo handling, and enough options and color choices to keep things interesting, the i4 is a solid player that stands on its own, regardless of powertrain.

What’s New for 2025?

Cape York Green metallic and Vegas Red metallic join the exterior color palette. The kidney grille surround is now finished in matt chrome and gets a mild redesign with a fully enclosed upper section sitting atop a high-gloss black and matte-silver honeycomb design. The headlamps are reshaped for a thinner look, and the taillamps offer available laser accents. The M Sport package for the i4 includes a front apron with large side air intakes and a high-gloss black diffuser element in the lower section of the rear bumper. New wheel designs include an available 19-inch M Aero bi-color for cars with the optional M Sport Package. Interior updates include available new steering wheel designs, brushed aluminum accents, and new Grey Blue Ash open-pore wood trim. The instrument panel upholstery texture is smoother and now extends to the top of all four door panels.

EV Motor, Power, and Performance

The 2025 i4 feeds electrons to either one or two electric motors, depending on the model. The eDrive35 utilizes a single 282-horsepower motor and rear-wheel drive; the eDrive40 shares the same single-motor rear-drive layout but ups the output to 335 horsepower. The all-wheel drive i4 xDrive40 model steps up performance with a pair of motors producing a combined output of 396 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. The M50 tops the lineup, its dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain rated for 536 horsepower and 586 pound-feet. It delivers the immediate and forceful thrust worthy of its M-badge, and its lower center of gravity helps it move assuredly, despite weighting more than an M3. The rear-drive i4 models roll on a standard set of 18-inch rims while 19-inchers are optional. Conversely, the all-wheel-drive M50 is fitted with either 19s or 20s, and it has adaptive dampers and a variable-ratio steering system.

0–60-MPH Times

In C/D testing, the M50 hit 60 mph in a remarkable 3.3 seconds, which is quicker than a rear-drive M3 Competition. Off the pace slightly is the xDrive40, our long-term model with the M Sport package (19-inch summer rubber, plus a racy steering wheel and aluminum cabin trim) hit sixty mph in a still sprightly 4.4 seconds.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

Inside, the i4’s cabin is richly appointed, including the availability of rose gold trim, white leather upholstery, and light wood trim. The general layout is similar to other BMW models, but the i4, in addition to the all-electric iX SUV, is the first to have a massive, seamless display that spans almost two-thirds of the dashboard. The four-door i4 has a dramatic rear roofline that imitates a coupe-like profile, but it has a traditional trunk in the back.