420i, 430i, and M440i xDrive are the petrol variants available, with Singapore launch date pending

Photos: BMW

MUNICH, GERMANY

Full details of the new BMW 4 Series Coupe has finally been revealed, not long after the 4 Series Convertible broke cover. While prices for Singapore are still under wraps, we are expecting the car to arrive in mid-November. The big talking point of the 4 Series is how it has now completely deviated from the rest of the BMW lineup with a radical new design that we first saw debut on the incoming M4. 

According to BMW, the design team had the goal to make the 4 Series the ‘boldest, most extroverted car of the BMW range’. Like the M4, it sports a prominent pair of kidney grilles dominating the nose, with the front number plate designed to fit right in the middle of it.

The car’s design team did let leak that they dabbled with the idea of mounting the number plate offset to the side, but the active safety sensors on the front bumper put an end to that idea.

The styling also helps to distinguish it from the 3 Series sedan, which shares a similar mechanical architecture.

The 420i and 430i will both have 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo engines in different states of tune. The range topper is the M440i xDrive, featuring a six-cylinder turbo engine and adaptive four-wheel drive. 

There are two diesel variants available at launch, though we are unlikely to see them made available in Singapore. What’s of interest though, is that not only is the 420d more fuel efficient than the 420i, it is also quicker. 

Besides the New Face…

Slim LED headlights with LED daytime running lights and LED fog lights form much of the face of the car. A U-shaped air intake underpins the large kidney grille, flanked by a pair of oversized side air intakes either side.

Flared wheel arches emphasise the muscularity of the coupe, and a pair of character lines along the flanks of the car have the twin goals of giving the car a muscular shoulder line while lowering the apparent centre of visual mass. BMW took pains to point out that the famed Hofmeister Kink at the rear side window is still there, though it now kinks towards the front rather than rear. 

At the rear, the angular bumper features vertical air outlets and a pair of large exhaust pipes, topped off by an integrated deck spoiler on the bootlid.

It’s not all about design for the sake of it though, and the car’s aerodynamic performance has been improved over the previous generation coupe, with a greater reduction of rear end lift at speed. 

At 4,768mm in length and 1,852mm wide, the new 4 Series is 128mm longer and 27mm wider than the previous-gen model. 

The 2,851mm wheelbase is 41mm longer than before, though in BMW tradition the brand still claims that across the models the 4 Series coupe still features a near perfect 50:50 front and rear weight balance for optimal dynamic balance. 

A 40:20:20 split-folding rear seat increases load carrying versatility, expanding on the 440 litres of boot space.

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Engines and performance

What’s interesting also is that there will be no manual gearboxes available with the 4 Series. All models are getting the eight-speed Steptronic automatic as standard. Launch control is also standard fitment in all models.

Both the 420i and 430i feature regular turbocharged petrol engines, though the M440i and diesel variants get mild-hybrid drive, where the 48-volt starter-generator provides a momentary power boost of 11hp during acceleration.

The 420i is the entry point into the 4 Series and is the expected volume seller. It’s a pretty quick car, with the 0-100kmh sprint covered in just 7.5 seconds. The 430i uses the same base engine block as the 420i but in a much hotter state of tune, and rips through the 0-100km/h sprint in 5.8 seconds. 

Just below the upcoming M4 coupe in absolute power and performance is the M440i xDrive, powered by a turbocharged straight-six producing 374hp. It features near supercar performance, covering 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds.

A pair of new 3.0-litre straight-six diesel engines is expected to join the lineup in 2021 in the form of the 286hp, 430d and massively powerful M440d xDrive with 340hp. We’re not likely to see them in Singapore ever, but they’ll be launched internationally before the middle of 2021.   

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What’s Inside?

While the exterior is all dramatic and edgy, the 4 Series is very similar to the 3 Series sedan inside with a near-identical dashboard.

The car gets BMW’s latest Live Cockpit plus system, which runs BMW’s iDrive OS with an 8.8-inch touchscreen and a 5.1-inch colour display in the instrument panel. As you’d expect, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is supported.

There’s the option of speccing the Live Cockpit Professional, which increases the screen sizes. A heads-up display which is claimd to be one of the largest in a series production vehicle with 3D mapping capability is also available as an option.

Safety features of note include front collision detection along with city braking, which can bring the car to a complete stop automatically if a hazard is detected.

Active cruise control is part of the optional Driving Assistant Professional package, which also includes Steering and Lane Assist Control. 

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So what about trim levels and options?

It’s expected to go the way of much of the current BMW lineup, with more optional trims and parts than you can shake a stick at. Sport and M Sport trim levels are expected, and while most cars will get 18-inch wheels as standard the M440i xDrive will ride on 19-inch wheels. 

There’s also a carbon fibre styling package that adds carbon fibre mirror caps, front air intakes, rear diffuser and rear spoiler. 

There’s also the option of fitting the M Sport suspension package for an even sportier ride or the pricier Adaptive M suspension. If you’re feeling the need to really spec-up your 4 Series, you can get the chunky  M Sport brakes, and the M Sport differential for improved dynamic response when powering out of corners. 

Which of these options will be available in Singapore is still up in the air, but in the usual M parts tradition you can expect the mechanical parts to add a big amount to the price of the car.

The 4 Series Coupe is expected to arrive in Singapore by mid November, and we expect the 420i to be priced somewhere in the S$250,000 range.

While the diesel variants are unlikely to make their way here, there’s a good chance that we will see all three of the petrol variants in Singapore, along with the M4 when it gets launched. 

The new BMW 4 Series Coupe at a glance: