Refreshed i4 drives like a BMW should

The technology underpinning the electric vehicle is still robust, but not at the cutting edge

- Lee Nian Tjoe

It may be called a different name, but the BMW i4 is basically the electric vehicle (EV) version of the 4-series Gran Coupe.

So rapid is the development of EV technology that the core architecture underpinning the i4 that made its debut in 2022 is due to be replaced by an entirely new one.

BMW's next-generation EV platform will debut in the new BMW iX3 in 2025, before finding its way across the German carmaker's line-up of EVs. Expect cars based on the new architecture to charge faster and go farther.

An all-new i4 is not expected in the next few years. So, to update the compact executive saloon, BMW gave it the slightest of design changes - there is fresh detailing to the exterior lights and the air-conditioning vents in the cabin look a bit different.

The infotainment system retains the tactile rotary dial and buttons on the centre console and it works in tandem with the touchscreen, which is a good thing.