The BMW i4 electric sedan has received another round of updates with a more powerful M60 flagship and reduced energy consumption in the rear-wheel-drive grades for more driving range.
Electric Cars
The 2026 BMW i4 electric sedan has gained a new M60 flagship variant and more driving range for rear-wheel-drive grades – but Australian timing for the last two rounds of updates remains unclear.
Following a styling update for the i4 launched overseas in 2024 – which is yet to arrive in Australia – the BMW i4 M60 xDrive will replace the current M50 from July 2025 production, with more power than before.
Combined power output from its dual electric motors is now rated at 442kW – up 42kW from 400kW – to outmuscle the petrol-powered 405kW M3 CS and M4 CS on paper, while its 795Nm torque output remains unchanged.
The 0-100km/h acceleration time for the all-wheel-drive i4 M60 is a claimed 3.7 seconds, two-tenths of a second faster than before.
Rear-wheel-drive versions of the i4 – the eDrive35 and eDrive40 – have gained silicon carbide semiconductor components, which are said to reduce energy consumption by around 4.5 per cent and add up to 22 kilometres of driving range.
BMW Australia has committed to the electric i4, which outsold the 4 Series Gran Coupe by more than eight to one in 2024, and was its second-highest-selling electric car behind the iX1 small SUV.
Styling changes include revised headlights, new tail-lights with optional laser-light technology first seen in the M4 CSL, an updated steering wheel and central air-vent design, and new alloy wheels and exterior paint colours.
"Any updates regarding the BMW i4 line-up for Australia will be announced in due course," a BMW Australia spokesperson told Drive.
BMW has also confirmed mid-year updates across most of its line-up, including a simplified set-up process for its Digital Key technology, which allows iPhone and Android users with compatible devices to unlock, lock and start their car with a smartphone or smartwatch.
There are also new exterior and interior colour options for the X1 and X2 available from July 2025 production, including Fire Red metallic, Night Dusk Blue, and Dune Grey metallic, though they are yet to be confirmed for Australian models.
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Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
