BMW i Series 2025 News

BMW has globally unveiled some tweaks to its Tesla Model 3-rivalling i4 electric liftback that are set to go into production from July.Gone is the high-performance BMW i4 M50, and in its place is the new i4 M60.This dual-motor all-wheel drive flagship now produces a total system output of 442kW of power, which is up 42kW on the outgoing i4 M50.BMW claims the i4 M60 is capable of doing the 0-100km/h sprint in 3.7 seconds, which is 0.2 seconds faster than the i4 M50. Total speed is unchanged at 225km/h.While there is extra power, it has come at the expense of claimed range. The i4 M60 is claimed to be able to travel up to 433km, according to WLTP testing, whereas the i4 M50 was claimed to be able to travel up to 480km, according to WLTP testing.This is despite all i4s from July production onwards getting silicon carbide semiconductor components, which in the entry-level i4 eDrive35 is claimed to reduce energy consumption by 4.5 per cent and add up to 22km of range.These latest additions and changes to the BMW i4 line-up follows a minor facelift that was unveiled in April 2024.At this stage this updated model still hasn’t arrived in Australia."Any updates regarding the BMW i4 line-up for Australia will be announced in due course," said a BMW Australia spokesperson.This update brought subtle exterior revisions including new grille designs, different LED headlight signatures, new alloy wheels, as well as more paint colours.The car also received the option of Laserlight rear lights in the style of the M4 CSL.Inside there was a new steering wheel, reduced physical buttons and controls on the instrument panel, new interior trim elements, CraftedClarity glass applications, as well as ambient lighting as standard.The BMW i4 launched locally back in 2022 as an all-electric counterpart to the 4 Series Gran Coupe, which has been subsequently axed in Australia.In the first four months of 2024, BMW sold a total of 382 i4 examples, which is down 42.4 per cent year-on-year.For context, Tesla sold a total of 2266 Model 3 examples over the same period of time. Hyundai also sold 58 Ioniq 6 examples and Polestar sold 179 Polestar 2 examples.

Four years after its debut, BMW has given its iX electric SUV its first facelift.For 2025, the updated model sees a suite of upgrades to the powertrain, exterior and interior, along with a new entry grade.Production will commence at the brand’s Dingolfing factory in Germany in March, with deliveries expected to start in Q2.CarsGuide has contacted BMW’s local operations for further information on an Australian launch date. An update to the story will follow with a response.Three variants remain in the line-up, starting with the new xDrive45 that replaces the xDrive40. Battery capacity swells from 71kWh to 94.8kWh, boosting the combined driving range by nearly 180km to 602km (WLTP).It also gets a 60kW power bump for its single rear-mounted electric motor to 300kW thanks to a drive system "fine-tune" and further developments to the car's power electronics.The xDrive60 replaces the xDrive50, which grows its battery capacity from 105.kWh to 109.1kWh. BMW notes a range of up to 701km on the combined WLTP cycle when fitted with standard aerodynamic wheel covers.For comparison, that comfortably exceeds the driving range of an Audi Q8 e-tron (484km), a Mercedes-Benz EQE (539km) and a Cadillac Lyriq (530km), all of which have been tested according to the WLTP cycle.Power on the dual-motor xDrive60 also increases by 15kW for a total output of 400kW.Last but not least, the dual-motor M70 replaces the M60 as the model's flagship sport variant. Its battery capacity grows from 105.2kWh to 108.9kWh for a maximum WLTP-certified range of 600km.It gains a 30kW power boost, pushing its total output to 485kW. BMW says a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 3.5 seconds can be achieved using the "one-foot rollout method", while top speed is limited to 250km/h.Looking at the exterior, the iX welcomes a refreshed front end, inclusive of a new front bumper, restyled grille and revamped headlights that feature new vertical daytime running lights and indicators.Customers can also opt for an illuminated grille on the entry-level xDrive45 or the mid-spec xDrive60, while it will come standard on the top-spec M70 xDrive.At the rear, BMW has integrated a new diffuser as standard on the M70, while customers can also opt for this upgrade through additional M Sport packaging.It adds further styling accents, distinctive air intakes and new M alloy wheels, while the M Sport Professional package adds "Shadowline" headlights, black exterior mirror caps, a unique M kidney grille and exclusive 22-inch M alloy wheels.Once again, M packaging adds exclusive interior features to the M70, which are optional for the xDrive 45 and xDrive60.Those include M multi-functional seats with optional ventilation, a leather steering wheel, M pedals, high-gloss black centre console trim and a two-tone instrument panel.BMW sold 566 examples of the iX in Australia last year, a decrease of 32.4 per cent on the previous year.