BMW 4 Series Coupe Review

The new BMW 4 Series Coupe heralds the dawn of a new coupe era at BMW. Launched as the fourth generation of BMW’s sporty mid-size Coupe, the new BMW 4 Series Coupe embodies the very essence of aesthetic appeal and dynamics in the premium segment. Its stylistic features carry the promise of a powerful presence on the road, stand-out dynamic ability and driving pleasure in abundance. Indeed, the new BMW 4 Series Coupe represents a paragon of balanced proportions and the final chapter in a story of development. The “4” in its title headlines this new era for the Coupe and emphasises not only its stand-alone design, but also an even greater technical differentiation from its BMW 3 Series cousins.

The new BMW 4 Series Coupe is visibly larger in width and wheelbase than the outgoing BMW 3 Series Coupe, and its dynamically stretched coupe silhouette sits considerably lower to the road. This, together with its BMW-typical short overhangs, long bonnet and set-back passenger compartment with flowing roofline, lends the BMW 4 Series Coupe impeccable visual balance. The car’s striking front end – with its characteristic BMW design features, such as the double-kidney grille, twin circular headlights and a large air intake in the front apron – is keen to display its family ties with the BMW 3 Series. However, the more sporting interpretation of the BMW 4 Series Coupe also underlines its dynamic convictions. A new element of the BMW 4 Series Coupe are the Air Breathers, positioned rearwards of the front wheel arches to reduce drag in this area. The Coupe’s muscular wheel arches and wide track make a particularly prominent contribution to the hunkered-down design of the rear, with its prominent horizontal lines.

Individual equipment lines for the interior and exterior.
The interior of the BMW 4 Series Coupe presents a stylish fusion of sporting allure and exclusivity. All the controls central to driving are arranged ergonomically around the driver and give him or her optimum access to all functions. In the rear compartment, powerfully contoured seats underline the sporting credentials of the BMW 4 Series Coupe. Recessed head restraints and broad, continuously moulded side supports give the rear bench the appearance of two individual seats. High-grade material combinations and unbeatable finish quality accentuate the premium ambience of the new BMW 4 Series Coupe. Customers can choose from three equipment combinations and an M Sport package as alternatives to standard specification. The Sport Line, Modern Line and Luxury Line packages allow visible individualisation of the car’s exterior and interior appearance.

Driving dynamics from the top drawer.
The defining ingredients in the involving driving experience laid on by the new BMW 4 Series Coupe are its impressive driving dynamics and assured handling properties. The BMW engineers have succeeded in making key improvements in areas such as steering accuracy, precision and agility, as well as honing, further still, the instincts of the new BMW 4 Series Coupe as an unadulterated driving machine. Sophisticated chassis technology, torque steer-free Electric Power Steering, 50:50 weight distribution, a programme of fine-tuning in the wind tunnel and an innovative lightweight construction concept gave them the tools to achieve their aims.

The new BMW 4 Series Coupe has a longer wheelbase, wider track and lower ride height than the BMW 3 Series Coupe it replaces. Its lower suspension brings the car’s centre of gravity down to below 500 millimetres, giving it the lowest centre of gravity of any car in the current BMW model line-up. As a result, the new BMW 4 Series Coupe is one of the sportiest series-produced cars in the BMW range and sets new dynamic standards in the segment.

One six-cylinder and two four-cylinder engines available from launch.
The sporting two-door model will be available from launch powered by the following engines: the six-cylinder in-line petrol engine in the BMW 435i Coupe, the four-cylinder petrol unit for the BMW 428i Coupe and the four-cylinder diesel for the BMW 420d Coupe. All the engines work using the latest BMW TwinPower Turbo technology and cover an output spectrum stretching from 135 kW/184 hp to 225 kW/306 hp. These state-of-the-art engines not only imbue the BMW 4 Series Coupe with outstanding acceleration and elasticity, they also join forces with the car’s intelligent lightweight construction concept to deliver further improvements in driving dynamics and lower fuel consumption.

Six-speed manual gearbox or eight-speed Sports automatic.
The power from the engines is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. BMW will also fit all the engine variants – as an option – with an eight-speed Sports automatic gearbox, which allows the driver to change gear manually as well using shift paddles on the steering wheel. The two petrol-engine model variants can be specified from launch, as an option, with the BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system.

BMW EfficientDynamics.
The driving pleasure available on board the new BMW 4 Series Coupe is a product of outstanding economy as well as sporting dynamics. The force behind this talent for fuel saving is the BMW EfficientDynamics development strategy, whose fruits can be found in almost every area of the new model. In addition to the petrol and diesel engines, with their optimised fuel economy, the car’s intelligent lightweight construction concept and honed aerodynamics – headlined by the Air Curtains and Air Breathers – also help to maximise efficiency. The BMW 4 Series Coupe may be set up to specialise in dynamic excellence, but other technological features, such as the Auto Start Stop function, Brake Energy Regeneration, Optimum Shift Indicator and on-demand operation of ancillary units, do their bit to ensure it impresses with low fuel consumption and emissions, too. Indeed, ECO PRO mode gives the car the potential to cut fuel use by as much as 20 per cent. In conjunction with the optional automatic transmission, the BMW 4 Series Coupe now also features a coasting mode for the first time. Another innovation is the Proactive Driving Assistant.

BMW ConnectedDrive.
The new BMW 4 Series Coupe deploys a unique combination of driver assistance systems and mobility services (available as standard or as an option under the BMW ConnectedDrive banner) to set the benchmark in terms of safety, comfort and infotainment. Among the highlights are a new generation of the Navigation System Professional, which offers extra capability, sharper graphics and 3D elements for the map display, the full-colour BMW Head-Up Display, Driving Assistant Plus, which warns the driver of a potential collision with a pedestrian, the intelligent, glare-free LED High Beam Assistant, Active Protection with Attentiveness Assistant and the latest development stage of the Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go function. As far as infotainment is concerned, extremely efficient interface technology enables the integration of smartphones and numerous Bluetooth office functions. The latter now also offer the driver the services of a dictation function with full speech recognition.