New BMW i4 M60 XDrive 2026 review: great, but expensive, fast EV
There's no denying that the M60 is highly impressive, but the much cheaper eDrive35 isn't too far behind it
Verdict
If the upcoming 3 Series EV is even half as good as this revised i4 M60 – a car based on BMW’s legacy petrol-electric platform, remember – we’re in for a treat. The i4 remains a better all-rounder than the Tesla Model 3, let down only by its lofty price and the fact it doesn’t have universal access to the US maker’s excellent Supercharger network. Supremely refined, lightning quick and filled with well integrated, intuitive tech, the only reason not to buy an i4 M60 is because the eDrive35 is 99 per cent as capable – all for £20k less.
The BMW i4 has long sat in the Tesla Model 3’s shadow. Similarly capable on paper, the European EV is around £10,000 more expensive than Elon Musk’s pioneering electric saloon – whether you opt for the most basic eDrive35 Sport, or this all-singing, all-dancing 593bhp M60 xDrive.
And that’s a shame, because in the original i4, BMW built a supremely talented EV – on what was essentially a compromised do-it-all, petrol-electric shared platform. Few EVs made such a compelling case for those who put driver engagement at the top of their new-car must-have wish list.
The i4 still has a few years left to run, despite there being an all-new BMW 3 Series EV just around the corner. To maintain appetite for the electric Gran Coupe, BMW has injected some life into the sleek four-door, including more range across the board, and extra power for the flagship M version.
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These technical changes follow a series of visual upgrades in 2024, which gave the car a cleaner and more modern appearance. The i4 has never been as polarising as some modern BMWs, yet the design changes – including revised lighting front and rear, plus improved quality inside – herald a subtly improved look.
Under the skin, efficiency improvements of up to 4.5 per cent have allowed BMW to eke out an additional 13 miles of range in the base i4 eDrive35 (for up to 319 miles per charge), while the mid-spec eDrive40 can now manage as many as 380 miles before it needs plugging in. BMW cites new “silicon carbide semiconductor components” in the power electronics (SiC inverter) for the boost in range.
The M60 we’re driving here also gets more range. Using the same 81.1kWh (net) battery as the eDrive40, the flagship i4 can now do up to 338 miles on a charge; specifying the larger 20-inch wheels on our test model sees that drop to 321 miles on the WLTP test cycle.
We averaged a respectable 2.7 miles per kWh on our first drive, although that was about as far from representative of real-world motoring as you can expect to get, with only a small amount of urban driving – where EVs excel – and plenty of high-speed motorway runs and fast rural roads. In regular everyday use, we’d expect the i4 M60 to easily exceed 3.0mi/kWh, which would see most drivers nudge 250 miles on a charge.
Alongside the other changes, BMW has also fitted a punchier powertrain, because apparently the old 537bhp M50 wasn’t fast enough. The M60 sees total output swell to 593bhp, and while torque is unchanged at 795Nm, the 0-62mph sprint time falls by 0.2 seconds to just 3.7 seconds.
It’s easy to dismiss this range-topping M60 model as a frivolous exercise in one-upmanship, but until the BMW X3 M50 dethroned it in 2025, the i4 was BMW’s best selling M car three years in a row. Chuckle all you like, this is an incredibly important car for the brand.
It’s an incredibly talented one, too. From the off, the i4 M60 doesn’t feel as raw or intimidating as a petrol BMW M3, or as heavy and cumbersome as the plug-in hybrid BMW M5. Ride comfort is exceptional thanks to the standard-fit M Adaptive Suspension; it’ll waft serenely between traffic lights and roundabouts in EcoPro – flicking through to Comfort or Sport introduces BMW’s IconicSounds Electric bringing a subtle backing track to suit your driving style – before cruising silently up to the national speed limit and beyond.
Then, when the mood dictates, the M60 transforms into a rocketship. Teleporting you from A to B with its prodigious instant torque, a flex of your right foot is all it takes to send you hurtling towards the horizon. Any stress when joining busy dual-carriageways or pulling out of lay-bys, as we did on our test drive, is a thing of the past. Even the smallest gaps feel instantly attainable. There’s no waiting for the gearbox to shift down or the turbo to spool up – the response is instantaneous and unrelenting.
Endless acceleration alone cannot justify the M badge on the bootlid, but thankfully, the i4 M60 delivers so much more than straight-line speed. It’s got that typical BMW, thick-rimmed steering wheel, and while this dilutes the feel of the front end slightly, the level of grip provided by the xDrive four-wheel drive system means you can trust the car intuitively even in greasy conditions. The i4 shuns its 2.2-tonne kerbweight, feeling reactive in a way rivals like the Model 3 Performance do not.
The brakes are excellent too. We found the ‘Adaptive’ setting for the regen a bit unpredictable, but you can select from three different levels – the lightest of which is akin to coasting – plus you can toggle one-pedal drive via the B-mode on the gear selector. We love this style of driving, especially in town, though the system proves its usefulness even on faster B-roads; being able to slow the car precisely only on the throttle results in surprisingly swift progress.
Away from the driving experience, the i4 feels like one of the last of its kind. With the latest iX3, BMW has introduced its next-generation infotainment system – including the dashboard-spanning Panoramic Vision head-up display. While this is obviously a quantum leap for in-car technology, there’s something reassuringly familiar about the maker’s outgoing iDrive system, especially with the i4’s much-lauded centre-console clickwheel.
This seemingly simple piece of hardware has been phased out from many new BMWs, in spite of its obvious benefits when it comes to controlling the myriad functions and sub-menus buried deep within the main screen. Here, the single-piece curved display looks great and is easy to operate, although we’d prefer physical controls for the climate and temperature settings.
Elsewhere, quality is very good, even if the uplift from eDrive35 to M60 is hardly noticeable. Sure, there are a few M-related trinkets, including the red 12 o’clock marker on the steering wheel, the dark headlining and the aluminium inlays, but the seats are covered in the same perforated Sensatec leather-like material, and the multi-colour ambient lighting is unchanged.
Every M60 comes with features such as electrically operated heated front seats, climate control, tinted glass and that glorious widescreen display. But it does seem a little stingy to ask customers to stump up £600 at the point of order – or a set fee per month for an ongoing subscription – just to unlock adaptive cruise control, especially as the distance selector is hardwired to the steering wheel. We don’t think, at north of £70,000, you should have to pay extra for wireless phone charging or adaptive headlights, either.
Those in the front are treated to a bit more head and legroom than those in the rear, but in terms of practicality, the main advantage of the i4 over say, a Model 3, is that the boot is hinged from the roof like a traditional hatchback. There’s no frunk, but there’s room under the boot floor to store the charge cable – even if, as in our car, you specify the optional Harman Kardon sound system with the additional subwoofer in the boot.
| Model: | BMW i4 M60 xDrive |
| Price: | £71,525 |
| On sale: | Now |
| Powertrain: | 81.1kWh battery, 2x e-motors |
| Power/torque: | 593bhp/795Nm |
| Transmission: | Single-speed automatic, four-wheel drive |
| 0-62mph: | 3.7 seconds |
| Top speed: | 140mph |
| Charging: | 205kW (10-80% in 30 minutes) |
| Range: | 338 miles |
| Size (L/W/H): | 4,783/1,852/1,448mm |
