New 2025 BMW 4 Series and i4 Facelift Review

Can we really call the new BMW 4 Series Facelift a Facelift or is it more of an update?

Exterior – Front

So as facelifts go for BMW, this one is very discrete. To be honest if you didn’t know your BMW’s you actually wouldn’t know it’s a facelift at all. The bumper design is exactly the same as before with the same small central air vent and side vents. The bugs bunny teeth grill is the same size and shape as before, but it has a new mesh pattern on the regular 4 series and i4 with the basic i4 getting the iX patterned grill. We do get a new set of headlights though that give the BMW a sportier and sleeker front end although I don’t believe they have laser light technology in them anymore as BMW are phasing out laser headlights which is a shame really, but no one really used them to their full potential.

Exterior – Side

Moving round to the side of the 4 Series and we don’t get any changes apart for some new colour and wheel options and the same can be said for the i4 electric version too.

Exterior – Rear

Moving round to the back of the BMW 4 Series and i4 and we again don’t get many changes. To start with we get the same bumpers as before and this is the same for both 4 series and i4. The badging is also the same as before too but what is new is the taillights. Now these are an option, but these have been taken from the BMW M4 CSL and people who knows that car will know that these taillights have laser technology. These have been made by using fibre optics with lasers to give this unique and cool effect to them. Now I do like them, and they do look cool, but I also like the older style models as they somehow look more modern than these ones. I think if these were clear rather than fully red then these would look very cool. Right, lets have a look and see what engine and gearbox options you can have with the new 4 Series and what battery and motor options you can have with the new i4.

Car and engine specs and price

So, the engine range of the 4 series has been severely reduced compared to the pre facelift model. We don’t even get any diesel models. So, what do we get then, well we get the base model which is the 420i. this is a 2 litre 4-cylinder petrol engine which produces 182 bhp and the power is sent to the rear wheels through a 8 speed Automatic gearbox. 0-62 is done within 7.5 seconds which is quite good. The next version is the M440i xDrive. This uses a 3 litre straight 6 engine which produces 370 bhp and a 0-62 time of just 4.5 seconds. The power is sent though an 8-speed automatic Gearbox to all 4 wheels. Making it plant the power down much easier. Right, lets have a look at the i4 and see what we get.  So, the BMW i4 range is broken down into 3 models. The base version is called eDrive35. This uses a single mounted motor with 284 bhp. This can do 0-62 within 6 seconds and this version gets a 70-kWh battery pack giving this model about 280 miles of range which is quite decent. The next version is called eDrive40 and this gets a more powerful motor at 338 bhp. This reduces the 0-62 time down to 5.6 seconds which isn’t a lot, but this is because we get a bigger battery pack at 84 kWh giving a range about 355 miles which is quite good. Think of this as the long-range version for example. The final version is the powerful M50 version. This has a dual motor setup giving the i4 540 bhp. This can do 0-62 within 3.9 seconds and is mated to the 84-kWh battery pack giving the i4 M50 a 300-mile range. The price for the BMW 4 Series facelift starts at £44,195 and for the BMW i4 it starts at £51,270. Right, lets have a look at the interior

Interior – Design

Now, climbing inside the new 4 Series and i4 and to start with I didn’t actually expect there to be any changes given the fact that it was only updated a year or 2 ago with the latest iDrive 8 operating system but BMW have actually managed to update it further from that update. So, what do we get then. Well, the infotainment system and instrument cluster have now been updated to iDrive 8.5. this gives you the one-layer UI layout with a row of touchscreen shortcuts low down with the on-screen climate control system. Lower down we get a new dashboard trim style which looks sleeker than before and connected to this is a set of new side air vents which mimic the look from the new 5 series. The central air vent also gets a new look too again mimicking the look. This also has hidden ambient lighting in it which lights up in a very similar manner to the light bar in the 5 series. The steering wheel is also practically new as in it is thicker than before with a top dead centre mark and a flat bottom design which is very similar to the 5 series steering wheel. The outline of the middle part is also new, but the buttons and airbag are carried over from the previous steering wheel. This design does make the interior feel more modern than before. To finish the new interior of we get a gear selector toggle instead of a shifter and it can now have a crystal design too and we also get some new seat materials, one which has the BMW M colours. Right, lets have a look in the back.

Practicality

So, getting into the back of the BMW 4 Series and it is a 4-seater layout. Legroom isn’t that bad though considering but headroom isn’t the best because of the sloping roof. We do get some storage in the back though as well as your own air vents and climate control.

Getting into the back of the i4 and this is a 5-seater. Legroom is also slightly better as to is headroom, but it isn’t great. We do get an armrest though. As well as the air vents and climate control. Right, lets have a look at the boot space for the 2 cars.

Boot Size

So, opening the boot to the 4 Series Coupe and you are welcomed with 440 litres of space. Whilst this is decent the boot opening isn’t that big so putting big items in will be a bit difficult. You can fold the seats down 40:20:40 though.

Opening the boot to the i4 and you are welcomed with 470 litres with the seats up. This is easier to use as you get a hatchback style opening. It is also taller and widder slightly in terms of space too.  Folding the seats down and this increases to 1,290 litres. Sadly, we don’t get a front boot for the i4 but then that is to be kind of expected considering it is based on the 4 series. This does mean that you will have to put the charging cables in the boot.

Summary

So, in summary then what do I think of the new 4 Series and i4. Well in terms of design, they haven’t really changed that much but if you are looking for something a bit different inside then this may be worth the upgrade over the pre facelift. Personally, though I wouldn’t say its worth the upgrade considering the powertrain options but if you are a company car driver then the i4 may be the one for you. What will be very interesting though is the new BMW i3 that will be coming out next year on the Neue Klasse platform. That will be the interesting one. Getting back to the point though. The BMW 4 Series and i4 are great cars with a few updates to keep them fresh and relevant. If you are looking for a reasonable BMW coupe or cheapish cool looking electric car then these may be for you.

Exterior 4/5

Interior 4/5

Practicality 3/5

Total 11/15

Model	BMW 420i Coupe and BMW i4 M50
Engine	2.0l Turbo, 182bhp, 0-62 = 7.5 Seconds, Rear Wheel Drive
Transmission	8 Speed Automatic
Price	£44,195
On Sale	Now