With more than 83,000 units sold last year, the i4 was the BMW Group’s best-selling EV. To maintain the strong sales momentum, the luxury brand is giving the electric Gran Coupe a Life Cycle Impulse. The Auto China 2024 in Beijing is where we got up close and personal with this eDrive40 flavor. It’s far from being standard since several extras have been added to make the zero-emission 4 GC look better.
Painted in Dravit Grey, the rear-wheel-drive i4 had the optional M Sport Package and an interesting set of 19-inch, bi-color wheels (Style 996 M). Naturally, BMW thinks the Auto China 2024 event is a good opportunity to show off the new laser taillights. These eye-catching rear lights with a 3D effect look just as cool as they did in 2022 on the M4 CSL.
Lest we forget the headlights are also different now and don’t use laser technology anymore. Although the blue inner accents are still applied, they’re reserved for the cars with the optional matrix high beam. With the facelift, BMW also freshened up the grille with those tiny rhombs found on other EVs. These include the iX1, iX2, and the larger iX.
We were allowed to take snapshots of the mildly updated i4 interior where the new flat-bottomed steering wheel calls home. The seats are wrapped in what BMW calls M PerformTex in black with M-colored piping. If you’re wondering about the trim on the dashboard, it’s the Fineline Light open-pored wood. It extends onto the center console to liven up the cabin.
Compared to the pre-LCI i4, there’s now intricate ambient lighting around the central vents, which also get new controls to adjust the direction of the air. Going forward, BMW will offer standard ambient lighting and optional crystal controls. The fancier finish is applied to the gear selector, start/stop button, and the iDrive controller. Following its premiere in Beijing, the 2025 BMW i4 will have its global market launch in July when production is starting in Munich.
