Brands2026 BMW i4 Review — Still the Driver's EV, But the Competition Just Got Serious
AI-generated concept illustration of the 2026 BMW i4 eDrive40 — not an official BMW image. | Rev N Rise
The BMW i4 has been the benchmark electric sedan for drivers since 2021. Four years later it still is — but only just. The 2026 i4 eDrive40 delivers 333 miles of range, charges at 200kW, starts at $57,900 and drives better than any other electric car in its class. The problem is that the new Mercedes CLA EV just arrived at $47,250 with 374 miles of range and 320kW charging. The game has changed. Here is whether the i4 still wins it.
The 2026 BMW i4 arrives with a focused set of upgrades rather than a wholesale redesign — and that's exactly the right approach for a car that was already doing most things correctly. The headline change is the introduction of new silicon carbide inverters across the range, which improve efficiency and deliver a modest but meaningful range increase. The eDrive40 gains approximately 15 miles of additional range with 18-inch wheels, bringing the official EPA estimate to 333 miles — up from 301 miles in the 2024 model.
The range-topping M50 has been renamed the M60 and receives a significant power upgrade — output rises from 536 horsepower to 593 horsepower in Sport mode, cutting the 0-60mph time to 3.6 seconds. Optional Glass Controls make their i4 debut for 2026 — physical piano-key style controls for the centre console that replace the previous toggle switches. Prices remain unchanged from 2025, which is genuinely welcome news in a market where most rivals have increased by $2,000 to $5,000 over the same period.
The 2026 i4 is offered in three configurations. The eDrive40 is the one to buy — a single rear motor producing 335 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque, driving the rear wheels through an automatic transmission, with a 333-mile EPA range and a 0-60mph time of 5.5 seconds. At $57,900, it is the entry point to the i4 range and by far its best value proposition.
The xDrive40 adds a front motor for all-wheel drive and 396 horsepower — but range drops to 287 miles, and the price rises to $62,300. The AWD traction benefit is real, particularly in winter driving conditions. But the 46-mile range penalty is significant, and most buyers in most climates will be better served by the rear-wheel drive model.
Then there is the M60 — 593 horsepower, dual motors, AWD, 0-60 in 3.6 seconds, 338 miles of range and a price of $70,700. The M60 is a genuinely extraordinary machine in a straight line, and its range is better than you would expect from a near-600-horsepower vehicle. But at $70,700, it sits in a different pricing bracket from the rest of the i4 range and competes with a completely different set of rivals.
| Model | 2026 BMW i4 |
| Body Style | 4-door Gran Coupé hatchback |
| Variants | eDrive40 (RWD) / xDrive40 (AWD) / M60 (AWD) |
| Battery | 81 kWh (all variants) |
| eDrive40 Output | 335 hp / 317 lb-ft — RWD |
| xDrive40 Output | 396 hp — AWD |
| M60 Output | 593 hp (Sport mode) — AWD |
| 0–60 mph (eDrive40) | 5.5 seconds |
| 0–60 mph (xDrive40) | 4.6 seconds |
| 0–60 mph (M60) | 3.6 seconds |
| Top Speed | 118 mph (RWD) / 140 mph (M60) |
| EPA Range (eDrive40) | 333 miles |
| EPA Range (xDrive40) | 287 miles |
| EPA Range (M60) | 338 miles |
| Max DC Charge Rate | 200 kW |
| 10 min charge adds | 90 miles |
| NACS Support | Coming — Tesla Supercharger compatible |
| Infotainment | iDrive 8.5 — curved dual screen |
| Display | 12.3-inch cluster + 14.9-inch touchscreen |
| New for 2026 | Silicon carbide inverters + Glass Controls option |
| Boot Space | Hatchback — 470 litres |
| Kerb Weight | 4,553 lbs (eDrive40) |
| US Price (eDrive40) | $57,900 |
| US Price (xDrive40) | $62,300 |
| US Price (M60) | $70,700 |
This is where the BMW i4 separates itself from every rival in the segment — including the Mercedes CLA EV. The i4 drives like a BMW. Not like an electric car wearing a BMW badge, but like a genuine, driver-focused machine that happens to run on electricity. The steering has weight and feedback. The chassis feels taut and responsive. The rear-wheel drive eDrive40 has a lightness and agility to it on a winding road that nothing else in this segment can match.
Press drive reports consistently describe the i4 eDrive40 as having a "BMW-typical tautness" about its handling — body control on faster roads is precise without being harsh, and the ride quality on standard 18-inch wheels is genuinely good. The regenerative braking system is one of the most sophisticated available — Adaptive mode reads the road ahead via GPS and sensors, adjusting regen automatically. B mode enables strong one-pedal driving. The transition between modes is seamless in a way that makes the i4 feel more natural and intuitive to drive than almost any EV at this price.
What the i4 does not do is match the CLA EV on range or charging speed. At 333 miles EPA, the i4 trails the CLA's 374 miles by 41 miles — a gap that matters on longer journeys. And at 200kW maximum DC charging versus the CLA's 320kW, a 10-minute top-up adds 90 miles in the i4 versus 186 miles in the Mercedes. For buyers who prioritise driving enjoyment and BMW's brand cachet, none of this is necessarily disqualifying. But it is a genuine and measurable disadvantage that needs to be acknowledged.
Inside the i4, BMW's familiar Curved Display dominates — a pair of screens joined under a single glass panel, sitting proud of the dashboard itself. The 12.3-inch instrument cluster and 14.9-inch central touchscreen are driven by iDrive 8.5 — one of the most mature and well-developed infotainment systems in the automotive industry. Physical controls remain present for key functions. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard.
The cabin quality is excellent — well-made, premium in feel and materially satisfying in a way that some rivals still struggle to match. The hatchback body style gives the i4 a generous 470-litre boot — more practical than the CLA's saloon-style bootlid opening, and considerably more accessible for everyday luggage. The frameless doors are a pleasing detail that elevates the i4's sense of occasion. Standard upholstery is SensaTec — leather costs $1,500 extra, which feels unnecessarily mean at $57,900.
New for 2026 are optional Glass Controls — piano-key style physical switches for the centre console. In an era when every rival is reducing physical buttons, BMW is adding them. It is exactly the right call, and exactly what BMW's loyal customer base has been asking for. The heated steering wheel and Harman Kardon sound system, available in the $1,750 Premium Package, are both worth having.
The 333-mile EPA rating for the eDrive40 is solid — but real-world range in normal driving conditions typically comes in around 280 to 300 miles rather than the official figure. That is still enough for the vast majority of daily and weekly driving requirements. BMW's claim that the i4 can add 90 miles in 10 minutes at a 200kW charger is achievable under ideal conditions — in practice, peak charging speeds are harder to sustain over a full session than the headline figure suggests.
The good news for 2026: BMW has confirmed that NACS support is coming to the i4, enabling native access to Tesla's Supercharger network. This is a significant upgrade that will meaningfully improve the i4's real-world charging convenience — particularly in the US, where the Supercharger network remains by far the most reliable public charging infrastructure available. Arrival date for NACS on the i4 has not been confirmed but is expected before the end of 2026.
It would be dishonest to review the 2026 BMW i4 without addressing the Mercedes CLA EV directly. The CLA starts at $47,250 — $10,650 less than the i4 eDrive40. It offers 374 miles of EPA range — 41 miles more than the i4. It charges at 320kW — 120kW faster than the i4's maximum. And in real-world testing it achieved 434 miles on a single charge — a figure the i4 cannot match at any price.
What the CLA does not offer is the i4's driving character. The steering, the handling, the rear-wheel drive dynamics — these are things that BMW has spent years perfecting and that Mercedes has not yet replicated in the CLA. For buyers who genuinely care about how a car feels to drive, the i4 remains the better choice. For buyers who primarily care about range, charging speed and value — the CLA EV is now the default answer in this segment.
- Best driving dynamics in the segment
- 333 miles range — solid for real-world use
- Hatchback body — most practical layout
- iDrive 8.5 — mature, refined software
- M60 — 593hp hypercar performance
- No price increase for 2026
- NACS coming — Supercharger access soon
- Physical controls retained
- $57,900 — $10,650 more than Mercedes CLA EV
- 333 miles vs CLA's 374 — 41 miles behind
- 200kW charging vs CLA's 320kW
- Leather not standard at $57,900
- xDrive40 range penalty — only 287 miles
- Exterior styling — not universally loved
- Real-world range often below EPA estimate
Buy the eDrive40. It has the most range of the three variants, the best driving character and the most accessible price. Add the $1,750 Premium Package for the heated steering wheel and Harman Kardon audio — both worth having. Skip the xDrive40 unless you genuinely need AWD traction for winter driving; the range penalty is too large to justify for most buyers. The M60 is extraordinary, but at $70,700 it is priced against rivals in a completely different market.
The harder question is whether to choose the i4 eDrive40 at all, given the CLA EV's arrival at $47,250 with superior range and charging speed. The answer depends entirely on what matters more to you: driving enjoyment and BMW's heritage — or range, charging and value. Both are legitimate priorities. The i4 is the right answer for one of them.
"The BMW i4 is the most dynamic electric sedan on sale — a car that proves electrification and driving pleasure are not mutually exclusive."
— Oliver Zipse, CEO, BMW GroupThe 2026 BMW i4 remains the best-driving electric sedan you can buy. Its steering has feel, its chassis has precision and its rear-wheel drive eDrive40 is genuinely joyful on a winding road in a way that nothing else in the segment has yet matched. But it now costs $10,650 more than the Mercedes CLA EV, offers 41 miles less range and charges at 120kW slower. These are real disadvantages that cannot be explained away by brand preference. The i4 is still the right choice for drivers who care about how their car feels. For everyone else, the competition just got very serious indeed.