BMW has made up its mind. The X4, the coupe-SUV that carved out its niche since 2018 and got a facelift in 2021, is done. No next generation, no farewell tour, no commemorative edition with a plaque and a teary press release. Munich simply decided the combustion-powered X4 had run its course. Partly because its younger sibling, the BMW X2, had already been quietly eating its lunch among buyers who didn’t want to get hammered by emissions penalties. The X4 showed up late to its own execution and didn’t even know it.
What replaces it isn’t a refresh. It’s a complete identity swap. The BMW iX4, internal code NA7, is essentially the fastback, coupé version of the BMW iX3, sharing the same Neue Klasse platform and nearly identical lower bodywork.
The differences, though, are the kind that matter: a more aggressively raked windshield, a sloping roofline, a fastback tailgate, and a fixed rear spoiler below the back window that improves aerodynamics and, by extension, range. It’s the same solution BMW applied to the X2/iX2, and it works. Spy shots from cold-weather testing in northern Sweden confirm the iX4 is real, alive, and almost ready.
The powertrain lineup will span from the 40 xDrive to the 50 xDrive, which punches out 469 HP, through the M60 and, eventually, a full-fat iX4 M, project code ZA7. BMW is developing this performance variant along the same lines as the upcoming iM3, a car reportedly set to run four electric motors, one per wheel, each paired with its own transmission unit. Whether the iX4 M follows that exact same recipe is still unknown, but BMW’s engineers clearly aren’t sleeping much these days, and that’s probably a good sign for everyone who thinks 469 HP is just a warm-up.
Production kicks off in November 2026 at BMW’s brand-new iFactory in Debrecen, Hungary. Apparently building a state-of-the-art factory doesn’t come with a crystal ball. Official reveal is expected in the summer of 2026, with sales launching before year’s end.
In the broader BMW SUV lineup, the traditional X3 and the electric iX3 now coexist without drama, proof that Munich has figured out how to walk the combustion-to-electric tightrope better than most. The iX4 is simply the next logical step.
