BMW’s big news this week is unquestionably the arrival of the new Mini Aceman, an electric hatchback that might look like a startled fish, but is expertly targeted at buyers who can no longer fit their lives into a Cooper yet don’t want something as large as a Countryman. Expect to see one parked badly in your nearest multi-storey come the autumn. Alongside it - and undoubtedly intended to ride on the Aceman’s coattails - is the prospect of an updated BMW i4 and 4 Series Gran Coupe.
This, it turns out, is a facelift in the most modest sense. But on the basis that the i4 M50 xDrive has been the highest-selling BMW M model for the last two years, it’s safe to assume that some PHers have bought in to the idea of an all-electric mid-size saloon. For the record, we were sufficiently taken with the first model to call it ‘good’ and definitely no insult to the badge back in 2021. Which is handy, because to all intents and purposes, this is much the same 544hp car as before.
Well, 544hp with Sport mode engaged and for 10ish seconds that is, where you also access 586lb ft of torque. The result is spirited enough to send you to 62mph in 3.9 seconds - although even without Sport Boost, the presence of a 313hp motor on the rear axle and a 258hp one on the front means that the M50 isn’t usually found wanting in a straight line. Some people definitely did find its appearance wanting, mind - the i4 being a carrier of the Big Kidney gene, and it would probably be overly optimistic to think that the introduction of reshaped headlights and ‘a black high-gloss surround and horizontally arranged bars adorned by a BMW M logo’ is going to win over too many new admirers. But there we go, it’s intended to more closely resemble the M4.
The M440i xDrive Gran Coupe gets similar treatment and from where we’re sitting it gleans a bit more from the tweak on the basis that losing the shinier accents makes the grilles less noticeable - and therefore slightly more likeable. Much like the M50, the combustion car retains its previous configuration underneath, meaning you get 374hp and 368lb ft of torque from the mildly hybridised 3.0-litre straight-six. Rewind to 2021 and we liked the combination very much - although it’s safe to say not quite so many people took notice of the model’s introduction.
Inside, the changes are more significant as both models inherit the digital BMW Curved Display that corrals more functions onto the touchscreen, including all the lovely physical switchgear for those redesigned air vents. Additionally, a new flat-bottomed M leather steering wheel has been introduced and the front sports seats are now finished as standard in the latest M Performtex upholstery (although leather remains a cost option). Disappointingly, the M440i loses its proper gear lever in the overhaul, meaning you have to make do with the switch-style toggle on the centre console when it comes to selecting D or R or S.
The global launch for both range-topping derivatives is scheduled for July and production will continue at BMW’s home plant in Munich even as it begins its transition to solely building EVs in the future. If you’ve been waiting to go from old to new, the i4 M50 is priced from £69,995 (it was £63,825 back in 2021) and the M440i Gran Coupe starts at £59,545 (it was previously £54,670). Alternatively, on the secondhand market, you could expect to pay around £50k and £40k respectively for a lightly used used example of either with the old grille. And more buttons.
1 / 12