I can't find a setting to enable or disable automatic improvement upgrades, but basic behavior seems different than DA or DL.
As the Iconians under the 12/14 beta, I just researched Merchant Emporium, but Barter Station is still available on the Newest tab of the build queue area and my existing Barter Stations did not begin automatic upgrades.
Has anyone else noticed this behavior for Iconian econ buildings or other branches on the new tech trees?