The X4 has always been a little too aware of itself. Across its generations, the coupe SUV has sometimes tried so hard to be the cool one in the family that it ended up awkward, a roofline and a set of proportions arguing for attention. The new BMW iX4, the third Neue Klasse model, is the first version of the idea that looks like it might not need to. It starts at $66,200 plus destination, with up to 428 miles of preliminary EPA-based range, 400 kW charging, and a March 2027 launch for the 50 xDrive.
I’ll hold the verdict until we’ve seen one in person, because this is a car where proportions and surfacing decide everything. But the brief reads differently this time.
Why this one might work
The iX4 sits on a dedicated electric architecture, and you can see the benefit in the numbers. The wheelbase is 114.1 inches on a car 188.3 inches long, with short overhangs, and a drag coefficient of 0.23. The roofline is shaped by aerodynamics first, with an integrated spoiler flowing out of the rear window and a full-length panoramic glass roof that stops the shape feeling heavy. BMW says the Neue Klasse face, with its slim kidney grille and twin headlights, is the cleanest it has done.
That is the difference. The old X4 had to hide a combustion SUV’s proportions under a coupe roof. The iX4 starts from a flat floor and a low center of gravity and is allowed to look like what it is. The i3 sedan showed what that freedom can do for a body shape, and the iX4 has the same advantage.
The hardware
The 50 xDrive uses a rear electrically excited synchronous motor and a front asynchronous motor for a combined 463 hp and 475 lb-ft. BMW quotes 0 to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and a 130 mph top speed. The 112.2 kWh battery uses new cylindrical cells in a cell-to-pack design that doubles as a structural part of the body, and BMW claims it can add 184 miles in ten minutes or go from 10 to 80 percent in 21 minutes on a compatible 800V charger.
The M60 xDrive is the car for those who want more. It makes 603 hp and 645 lb-ft, reaches 62 mph in 3.9 seconds, and tops out at 149 mph. It also gets Adaptive M Suspension and an electronically controlled M Sport differential as standard, plus 21-inch wheels. Its timing is vaguer: BMW’s release says “later in 2027” in one place and gives March 2027 for the start of production in another.
Driving, and the Heart of Joy
BMW’s driving pitch is the Heart of Joy computer, which it says works ten times faster than previous systems and cuts down on corrective stability control inputs. The car also slows almost entirely on regenerative braking, ending with what BMW calls its smoothest stop ever. Those are reasonable claims to make for a heavy EV that is trying to feel composed. We’ll find out whether it feels engaging or just well managed.
Inside
The cabin repeats the Neue Klasse formula: BMW Panoramic Vision, a 17.9-inch free-cut Central Display, shy-tech controls on the steering wheel, and an Alexa+ powered voice assistant. Highway Assistant allows attentive hands-free driving at up to 85 mph. The standard M Sport package brings 20-inch wheels and a specific look. Towing is rated at 4,400 pounds with the optional hitch.
What gives us pause
Range and charging figures are preliminary and come from BMW’s own testing using EPA procedures. The iX3 50 xDrive was confirmed at $61,500 and 434 miles, so the iX4 asks $4,700 more for six fewer miles of estimated range. Some of that buys the standard M Sport package and the styling, but it is a real premium for a roofline.
A lot of the digital kit also sits behind BMW Digital Premium and ConnectedDrive Upgrades, which is a lot of subscription logic for a car at this price. And the iX4 is built in Debrecen, Hungary, which adds a pricing question for the US market that BMW hasn’t addressed.
Our take
The coupe SUV has been the hardest BMW body style to love, mostly because it kept asking to be loved. The iX4 doesn’t appear to ask. If the car in person matches the intent in the release, this could be the first time the idea actually hits the mark. The test is simple: does it look good from every angle, and does it drive like the spec sheet says it should.
