BMW iX4 (NA7): the electric coupe-SUV that replaces the X4 with no gas option in reserve

BMW has put the iX4 on test — the electric heir to the X4, which will not get a direct combustion replacement. For the brand this is more than a swap from engine to battery: it’s a stress test of the old coupe-SUV formula in a new era, with less practicality, more silhouette and now a bet on aerodynamics as well.

The camouflage still hides the details, but the overall picture is clear. The front end is close to the iX3 Neue Klasse, the roof sits lower, the rear overhang is shorter, and the profile is noticeably sportier than a regular SUV. BMW has long sold such bodies as a separate style — from the X6 down to the X4 and X2. That logic is now moving into the electric segment.

Production of the current X4 has already wrapped up. The new model, with the internal index NA7, is set to launch with the iX4 40 xDrive and iX4 50 xDrive versions in November 2026. The more powerful iX4 M60 xDrive is expected in March 2027.

The hardware is almost certainly tied to the iX3 Neue Klasse. That means an 800-volt architecture, DC fast charging up to 400 kW and similar drivetrains. The iX3 50 xDrive is rated at 463 hp and 641 Nm, with 0–100 km/h in 4.9 seconds and the option to add up to 275 km of range in 10 minutes at a suitable station.

The iX4 should land in the same ballpark, but the more raked roof can deliver a small drag advantage. In the combustion era this shape usually meant compromise: worse visibility, less usable volume, higher price. On an EV, a low silhouette can help preserve range without enlarging the battery, although boot space and rear-seat comfort will still have to be weighed against the iX3.

Production will move not to Spartanburg in the U.S., where the previous X4 was built, but to BMW’s new plant in Debrecen, Hungary. That’s also where the iX3 is assembled. For Europe this makes sense, but for the U.S. the shift could affect logistics and the final price, especially if tariffs change. The iX4 will almost certainly cost more than the iX3.

If the iX3 50 xDrive starts at roughly €70,900 in Germany, the coupe version could approach the territory of the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron and the upcoming Mercedes GLC electric. Buyers won’t just be paying for the Neue Klasse platform, but for the look.

This is not a mass-market replacement for the old X4 but an image-driven electric BMW for those who want the new thing before the rest of the market. The X4 once sold the idea of a crossover you pick with your eyes. The iX4 will test whether that idea still works without a familiar combustion engine under the hood.