BMW today unveiled the long-awaited i3 sedan — the electric counterpart to the iconic 3-series and the second model to join the brand's Neue Klasse platform family alongside the iX3 SUV. The i3's arrival comes with an unwelcome announcement: brand representatives confirmed to Car and Driver at the reveal that the i4 is being discontinued.
The i4 launched for the 2022 model year as an electric interpretation of the 4-series Gran Coupe. BMW has now confirmed that the 2026 model year will be its last. The i4 received some mechanical updates for its final year, with the range-topping variant gaining 56 additional horsepower and adopting a new name — M60, replacing M50.
The overlap between the i3 and i4 in both dimensions and expected pricing makes the case for running both simultaneously weak. The i3 is one inch shorter than the i4, half an inch wider, and 1.3 inches taller. BMW hasn't confirmed i3 pricing yet, but we expect it to open around $53,000 — roughly $6,000 below the i4.
The powertrain comparison makes the i4's position even more difficult to defend. The most efficient i4 — a 335-hp single-motor rear-wheel-drive model — tops out at 318 miles of range. The only i3 available at launch, the 463-hp dual-motor all-wheel-drive 50 xDrive, is estimated to deliver 440 miles.
There's one meaningful area where the i4 differentiates itself from the i3. The i3 is a conventional sedan, with a traditional trunk, like the gas-powered 3-series. The i4, by contrast, is a hatchback — the rear glass lifts along with the decklid to reveal a large and practical cargo opening. While BMW officially positions the i3 as the i4's successor, Bernd Koerber, BMW's senior vice president of product management, told C/D that there may eventually be room for a future model capturing the i4's more athletic, coupe-like character.
Such a vehicle would presumably feature a longer, more steeply raked roofline and rear hatch access, but no timeline has been given for that possibility. For now, BMW's focus is the i3 sedan, while the i4 concludes its run after five model years.