BMW Asia has recently announced the availability of the new all-electric BMW i4 and the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe for purchase in Singapore. 

Both the BMW i4 and the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe feature slim head lights and a vertically arranged BMW kidney grille bringing additional visual impact to a refreshed design.

Naturally, however, there are visual differences between the two.

Thanks to the low cooling requirement of the i4's electric drive system, you'll note that its kidney grilles have a fully enclosed upper section. The standard M Sport package for the new BMW i4 also has a diffuser element in the lower section of the rear bumper.

Meanwhile, the air intakes on the combustion-powered 4 Series Gran Coupe have a mesh structure whose surfaces are now painted in matt Quartz silver. Its twin exhausts have grown slightly larger, too — to 100mm in diameter, from 90mm previously.

The final of the updated trio, the all-electric BMW i4 M50 xDrive, features a M-specific design with the iconic BMW kidney grille in a black high-gloss surround and adorned with a BMW M logo. As a result, the front-end styling is more closely related to the design of the BMW M4 high-performance sports car.

On all three cars, Adaptive LED Head lights are a standard feature, containing blue inlays, non-dazzling matrix high beam, urban lights, and a cornering light function. The cars also feature highly expressive and intricate 'Laserlight' taillights — which employ a technology first seen on the M4 CSL. 

The new BMW i4 comes with standard 19-inch M aerodynamic wheels, whereas the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe comes with standard 18-inch M aerodynamic wheels. The BMW i4 M50 xDrive uses standard 19-inch M light-alloy wheels instead.

This latest refresh also brings with it upgraded interiors across the range.

Offered as standard equipment, the newly designed M leather steering wheel in the BMW i4 and 4 Series Gran Coupe features a three-spoke design with a flat-bottomed rim and a discreet centre marking in the 12 o'clock position. The steering wheel in the BMW i4 M50 xDrive also comes with decorative stitching in BMW M colours and a red centre marker.

For enhancements in "sporty driving pleasure", the new 4 Series Gran Coupe now gets an eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission as standard, too, and gets gearshift paddles on its steering wheel. 

The latest generation of the BMW iDrive display and control/operation system with QuickSeIect based on BMW Operating System 8.5 is a new way of intuitively controlling vehicle functions and accessing digital services in the new BMW i4 and new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe.

With the digital BMW Curved Display screen grouping and the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, the driver-centric cockpit has been geared squarely to operation using touch control and natural language.

The climate control functions are also digitally operated, allowing for further reduction in the number of physical buttons and controls.

The control/operation system comprises of multifunction buttons on the steering wheel such as the BMW iDrive Controller and the optional BMW Head-Up Display, which is standard on the new BMW i4 M50 xDrive.

With specific regard to the two i4 variants, BMW Asia states that it is continuing to help make the electric switch "simple and straightforward" by offering new BMW EV customers either a comprehensive home or public charging package.

The former will see customers receiving a BMW Wallbox with a complimentary installation service, while those who opt for public charging will receive a subscription package of 10,000kWh over three years at Shell Recharge stations, with no monthly cap for charging.

This article was first published in sgCarMart.