Photo: BMW | Edited
BMW's latest 4 Series looks impressively good even without any options added. It's an elegant evolution, one that retains the beaver-teeth grille and the body shape but refines everything else. An unexpected but welcomed addition is the "Laserlight" taillights borrowed from the M4 CSL. Don't think twice about what it would cost to replace them because you have the choice to avoid them. Here's the gist of it.
The all-new BMW 4 Series and M4 have just been refreshed. Using BMW lingo, the model received the so-called "Life Cycle Impulse (LCI)" treatment. We like it. There's nothing to complain about. The Bavarians even used some trickery to make the large grille seem a tad bit smaller. Simply put, it looks great.
If you're not a fan of internal combustion engines but like the new 4 Series... Tough luck. The all-electric variants have yet to be updated. Considering that the i4 M50 was BMW M's best-selling vehicle last year (outshining even the M3), that's saying something. BMW is treading carefully. It could also be that it's delaying the upgrade for the zero-emission versions because it wishes to make good use of all the remaining parts.
No matter what BMW is deciding internally, prospective 2025 BMW 4 Series buyers have one important decision ahead of them: ticking or not ticking the box for the "Laserlight" taillights. Replacing them without a discount on a BMW M4 CSL costs nearly $9,000 without a discount. If you're lucky to get one, the price can drop to around $6,000. But that doesn't include installation costs.
If you're buying a refreshed 4 Series with a four-banger under the hood, chances are you might want to avoid having to pay for this part or deal with a higher insurance premium. Providers have noticed a shift in the automotive industry, and car owners have already felt it. On average, insurance rates have increased by almost 40 percent in the past four years.
Using the UK configurator, we discovered that taillights with laser diodes that illuminate glass fiber bundles for a 3D effect are part of the M Sport Pro package (£2,925 / $3,719) or can be added separately by paying for the Adaptive LED Headlights and Taillights (and High-Beam Assistant) option. Surprisingly, the latter costs £1,525 ($1,939).
When writing, the US configurator still shows the non-LCI 4 Series. The most affordable variant – the rear-wheel-drive 430i – has an MSRP of $49,900. The facelifted coupe is $1,795 more expensive.
Considering that we only see minor improvements and a couple of retouches here and there, that feels like a fair price increase. Let's hope dealers won't make buying a 4 Series at MSRP any harder.
Ultimately, BMW deserves recognition for giving its customers options. It continues a tradition that started a few years ago with lineups that had all sorts of powertrains.
If you're not a fan of internal combustion engines but like the new 4 Series... Tough luck. The all-electric variants have yet to be updated. Considering that the i4 M50 was BMW M's best-selling vehicle last year (outshining even the M3), that's saying something. BMW is treading carefully. It could also be that it's delaying the upgrade for the zero-emission versions because it wishes to make good use of all the remaining parts.
No matter what BMW is deciding internally, prospective 2025 BMW 4 Series buyers have one important decision ahead of them: ticking or not ticking the box for the "Laserlight" taillights. Replacing them without a discount on a BMW M4 CSL costs nearly $9,000 without a discount. If you're lucky to get one, the price can drop to around $6,000. But that doesn't include installation costs.
If you're buying a refreshed 4 Series with a four-banger under the hood, chances are you might want to avoid having to pay for this part or deal with a higher insurance premium. Providers have noticed a shift in the automotive industry, and car owners have already felt it. On average, insurance rates have increased by almost 40 percent in the past four years.
Using the UK configurator, we discovered that taillights with laser diodes that illuminate glass fiber bundles for a 3D effect are part of the M Sport Pro package (£2,925 / $3,719) or can be added separately by paying for the Adaptive LED Headlights and Taillights (and High-Beam Assistant) option. Surprisingly, the latter costs £1,525 ($1,939).
When writing, the US configurator still shows the non-LCI 4 Series. The most affordable variant – the rear-wheel-drive 430i – has an MSRP of $49,900. The facelifted coupe is $1,795 more expensive.
Considering that we only see minor improvements and a couple of retouches here and there, that feels like a fair price increase. Let's hope dealers won't make buying a 4 Series at MSRP any harder.
Ultimately, BMW deserves recognition for giving its customers options. It continues a tradition that started a few years ago with lineups that had all sorts of powertrains.
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