2024 BMW i4 almost ready to take the fight to new Tesla Model 3

Our first look at the updated i4 suggests BMW’s electric exec could soon be revealed

The BMW i4 is one of our favourite electric cars and soon it’ll get even better thanks to a mid-life refresh, and it’s been spotted testing on the public road for the very first time. 

Our reigning Premium Electric Car of the Year, the i4, may only have launched in 2021 but has seen new rivals emerge since with the Hyundai Ioniq 6, BYD Seal and of course, the newly-updated Tesla Model 3. 

Judging by the spy shots, we shouldn’t expect a drastic change to the i4’s exterior for this facelift (or ‘LCI’ model as BMW traditionally calls them). The large grilles remain with the radar system embedded to one side, the bumper design looks similar to the current M Sport version of the i4, but the headlight cluster does feature a new LED signature. 

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The wheels and side trim are also identical to the current i4 M Sport, and to the rear there’s heavy camouflage, but we expect the rear bumper to be reshaped slightly along with revised rear light clusters. The subtle exterior tweaks mirror that of the upcoming facelifted 4 Series, with which the i4 shares plenty of design and technology. 

One of the best attributes to the current i4 is the interior technology with an impressive 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and 14.9-inch touchscreen joined in a single gently curving display. We don’t expect this to change with the facelift but it should be able to take on BMW’s new iDrive 9 infotainment due later this year. 

The i4 currently comes with up to 365 miles of range in eDrive40 trim with the 80kWh battery – which is certainly enough for most people, but this loses out to the new Model 3 Long Range’s 391 miles, so we’re confident BMW will make adjustments to the facelifted model to account for this deficit. 

The current i4 starts from £49,995 in eDrive35 Sport trim with the 70kWh battery. With the exterior tweaks and expected improvements to the efficiency, we expect the starting price tag to venture over the £50k mark when it goes on sale in 2024.

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