BMW i4 eDrive35 M Sport Facelift Review: Sharpening the Edge

What we like:

Satisfying to drive

Stylish to look at

Great build quality

Comfy and luxurious

What we dislike:

Range could be better

We have had favourable experiences with the pre-LCI i4 previously (see here and here), so we were gearing up for yet another good one with the LCI car. No disappointments here to report, as the LCI i4 drives as sweetly as we remember, and perhaps even more so now that it comes exclusively with the M Sport package.

That means the addition of M Sport brakes, M Aerodynamics package, 19-inch M wheels and an M rear spoiler for the exterior, while the interior sports fine-brushed aluminium and an M steering wheel. Curiously, the Harman Kardon sound system we so loved in the pre-LCI eDrive35 doesn’t come as standard until you opt for the top-of-the-line M50 xDrive.

Another thing that is left out from the M Sport package is Adaptive M suspension, which I consider a blessing as it can be a bit of a hit-and-miss when it comes to balancing sporty handling and daily drivability. The standard suspension works terrifically well, giving the i4 a plush ride that controls the weight of the car’s batteries very well.

In fact, from the driving dynamics perspective, you can hardly tell this is an electric car. The near 50:50 weight distribution as well as classic rear-wheel drive setup allows the i4 to handle like a proper BMW, which is not an easy badge to earn for typically portly electric cars. Although its steering is light, it is precise and does feel a tad more involving with the M steering wheel compared to the pre-LCI non M Sport model (whether placebo or not, I don’t know).

Other changes to the i4 LCI are mostly visual, especially the updated headlights and laser tail lights for the exterior. I’m not sure why the iconic ‘Angel Eyes’ are slowly being designed out to become mere LED slits, but this is how it looks now. The laser rear tail lights are better executed, looking super premium but at the same time leaving this writer wondering how much they are to replace in a minor shunt to the rear. Nonetheless, they remind me of the CELIS lights on my BMW E60 LCI, a nice continuation of BMW’s innovative lighting technology.

On the inside, ambient lighting is now more pronounced around the air-conditioning vents, while the vents themselves are now controlled by (thankfully) new physical knobs. It’s a subtle change, not one that you would really notice. Build quality is right up there, and where BMW is at now with the build of its entire range is probably the best it has ever achieved. A big pat on the back for notching up the attention to detail while others have dropped the ball instead.

The baseline appeal for the i4 remains the same as before, which is that it presents great value next to its ICE counterparts. Being a whole $6k cheaper than the 420i GranCoupe, while offering a whole lot more power to exploit the RWD handling is quite a no-brainer really.

Photos by James Wong

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