Update: Story has been updated with exclusive illustrations, and more info on the i4.
BMW’s senior vice president for brand and product management, Bernd Körber, told BMWBlog that the new i3 is “more or less a successor to the i4.”
While he stopped short of confirming, the nameplate is expected to make a comeback in 2027 as an electric midsize coupe, following the new BMW i3 sedan, and i3 Touring, becoming the company’s third low-roof Neue Klasse EV.
According to a report BMW Blog published on January 15, 2026, BMW has no firm plans to fully redesign combustion models in the 4 Series family at the moment. The company has approved only a pure-electric replacement for the 4 Series Coupe (two-door), which is also one of the 40 facelifted or all-new cars to be introduced by the end of 2027.
Here are our expectations for the next-gen i4 Coupe.
Design
The next-gen BMW i4 should adopt the brand’s reductive design language introduced in the 2027 BMW iX3 and the new BMW i3. As seen here in our exclusive renderings, the front end should feature slim headlights positioned behind a wide glass panel, paired with a compact kidney grille.
Cleaner body surfaces and fewer character lines would place greater emphasis on the car’s proportions, with select design elements used to distinguish it from the i3.
As reflected in our illustrations, expect the i4 coupe’s side profile to lean into a sporty roofline and a low, tapering glasshouse, prioritizing silhouette over rear-room practicality. The cabin should feel front-biased, with the driver and front passenger as the focus. Rear-seat headroom and knee room will be best suited to kids, and cargo volume likely won’t be the headline.
Interior
The two-door BMW i4 coupe is expected to adopt a minimalist interior layout, with clean, uninterrupted surfaces and a reduced number of physical controls. The dashboard and door panels would likely be visually integrated, creating a continuous wraparound design for the occupants.
A cockpit layout without a traditional instrument cluster is also anticipated. Driving information would instead be displayed via BMW Panoramic Vision, projected onto a black printed surface along the lower section of the windshield.
The driver’s side would present core driving data, while the central and passenger-side sections would be configurable. A conventional three-dimensional head-up display is also expected to be offered.
Specifications
As the company is developing the two-door i4 coupe on the same dedicated EV platform as the next-gen i3 sedan, buyers can expect a choice of single-motor RWD and dual-motor AWD variants with up to 345 kW (463 hp) and 645 Nm (476 lb.-ft.) of torque.
The top variant should have a module-less battery pack consisting of cylindrical NMC cells and possessing an energy storage capacity of over 100 kWh, enough to deliver an EPA-est. range of over 400 miles.
The top-end battery pack will likely have an operating voltage close to 800 volts and support charging at up to 400 kW. This means charging from 10% to 80% SoC may take just around 20 minutes.
The next-gen i4 should support three bidirectional charging functions: Vehicle-to-Load (V2L), Vehicle-to-Home (V2H), and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), although their availability may vary as per market.
Release Date
The Neue Klasse BMW i4 could be launched in the U.S. in Spring 2028, with prices starting at around USD 60,000.
BMW iM4 to follow?
The Germans also plan to launch a full-blown BMW iM3 in 2027 and could follow with a similar iM4 around 2029. The potential BMW iM4 would use a quad-motor setup, with one electric motor at each wheel, enabling fully independent torque vectoring for precise control of traction, yaw, and cornering behavior.
The front motors would include a disconnect function, enabling an on-demand rear-wheel drive layout for a more engaging driving experience. Simulated gear shifts would increase driver involvement, similar to a conventional BMW M4.
Also Read: BMW i3 sedan vs BMW i4: My experience with the two German EVs
Featured Image: TopElectricSUV’s illustration of the next-gen i4
International Automotive News Editor since 2014, covering global motor shows, industry events, and test-driving various vehicles, with a focus on hybrid and electric cars in recent years.
