The BMW i4 has been updated for the 2026 model year, bringing minor exterior tweaks, a longer driving range and the M Sport package as standard.
However, the mid-size electric liftback sedan – BMW’s answer to the popular Tesla Model 3 – is now now available in Australia in only a single model grade that’s also more expensive than before.
The 2026 BMW i4 eDrive35 Gran Coupe will has been priced from $88,900 before on-road costs ahead of its arrival in showrooms later this year – $1100 more than previously – but it has more standard equipment and capability.
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Importantly, its price tag remains below the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold, a factor contributing to the i4 outselling the Mercedes-Benz C-Class in 2024, helping the premium German auto brand to rank fourth in terms of electric vehicle (EV) sales in Australia.
BMW Australia says the entry-level eDrive35 made up the majority of its i4 sales, accounting for 75 per cent of all i4s sold in this market since the model was introduced in 2023.
The popularity of the base grade prompted the decision to drop the i4 eDrive 40 and the flagship i4 eDrive 60 variants from the lineup, and to offer only the eDrive35 here as BMW awaits fresh stock of the upgraded i4.
For 2026, the i4 eDrive35 receives minor exterior design changes, as seen with European versions earlier this year.
This includes a ‘diamond textured’ grille and redesigned headlights with new ‘vertical structure’ daytime running lights and indicators.
Australian vehicles also come standard with a previously unavailable M Sport package including side skirts, rear bumper diffuser, and 18-inch M light alloy wheels.
Inside, there’s also an flat-bottom, leather-wrapped M Sport steering wheel with 12 o’clock marker, and the choice of brushed aluminium or ash grey with open-pore fine wood highlights at no extra costs.
The front seats are powered, heated, include adjustable lumbar support, and can be had in black or cognac coloured ‘Sensatec’ synthetic leather trim, while an electric sunroof is also now standard.
Driving range has been extended by 18km to 448km, according to Australian Design Rule 81/02, which equates to around 381km on the WLTP scale.
The improvement comes from the addition of silicon carbide semiconductor components in the i4’s power electronics, which BMW says brings a 4.5 per cent reduction in energy consumption.
There are no other changes to the powertrain, which continues to comprise a single electric motor driving the rear wheels, producing 210kW of power and 400Nm of torque – enough for a claimed 0-100km/h time of 6.0 seconds.
BMW says the 66.4kWh battery can be completely charged via 11kW AC power in seven hours, and that DC fast-charging up at a maximum 180kW can provide a full charge in 32 minutes.
Options include larger alloy wheels up to 21-inch, as well as metallic paint (all colours apart from Alpine White) for an additional $2000.
The i4 helped BMW Australia sell three times the number of EVs as Mercedes-Benz, and more than 10 times the number of EVs as Audi, in Australia last year.
At the same time, the petrol-powered 4 Series Gran Coupe sedan was axed in Australia in November 2024.
A new wave of electric BMWs is on the way, based on the Bavarian brand’s next-generation ‘Neue Klasse’ (new class) EV platform, which debuted under the new iX3 at the Munich motor show in Germany last month.
| Model | Price before on road costs |
|---|---|
| 2026 BMW i4 eDrive35 Gran Coupe | $88,900 (+$1100) |