,


BMW 4-Series New Generation Review


Today we are going to talk about something different. This is new BMW 4-Series and oh boy it turned out to be controversial generation. I guess only the laziest didn’t write their opinion about new grille, but all these judgments were based purely on official photos. Somehow recent cars from BMW are better in person, so here we are. Let’s start straightaway.

I recommend to watch video-review above. It features English subtitles, so you won’t have problems understanding what is what. 🙂

Like our Facebook page so you won’t miss new articles.
Here you can read review with another great car.


Front Grille

It is safe to say that here we get the biggest grille in the current lineup from BMW. Such design looks unusual to say the least. In my opinion it is important to factor in the fact that we are used to horizontal “layout” of “kidney grille”, but now it comes in vertical orientation. German designers insist on following the heritage and reintroducing “the original size”. Is it true? Oh yes, indeed, there are plenty of various models which features even bigger kidney grilles with this vertical span.

I like the fact that this part is not straight, it is actually tilted and recreates sharkmouth found on classic models. Moreover, it “flows” into lower bumper section, what adds visual interest. Whole construction is three-dimensional and you have to see it in person. All those smooth transitions from one element to another looks great and create sophisticated composition which looks right in place.

There were several complaints about licence plate on the grille, and it is impossible to argue on this. Plate is place right in the middle of the new grille and visually breaks whole design. I am not sure what made designers go this way… Maybe curves and bends on the bumper edges? In other words it was also fight for better aerodynamic efficiency, so plate in the middle creates the most aerodynamic profile.

Body

Frankly speaking I am not sure how press photos were taken because even this blue BMW 4-Series looked plain. In reality it is quite curvy. Yes, there are not that many lines, but it can be considered as an advantage for such car. Whole “set” combined looks sleek and streamlined. In my opinion the main feature here is the wide line of rear hips which hints on the widened width in comparison with simple 3-Series. This is new design cue, and you won’t find it on the previous generation.

Length here increased by 130mm and now measures impressive 4768mm. At the same time wheelbase added 41mm and now totals 2851mm. Those numbers might look big for coupe, but short front and rear ends help in hiding such length. I guess there is no need to mention benefit of increased wheelbase here.

Rear pillar was one of the main argue points on forums. People were wondering where is the Hoffmeister curve and why it wasn’t used here. Well, designers claim that they “rotated” famous curve line in order to achieve even more streamlined silhouette. It is matter of personal taste and getting used to. I guess there is nothing else we can do, but it looks unusual for sure.

Rear Section

Rear end received its own taillights which are different from 3-Series. New coupe from BMW brings aggressive design with large diffusor in the middle. Side vents are not hollow, there is plastic inside, so it is more of aesthetic feature. Don’t forget that all this is part of M-Package and you can get it on less powerful versions.

Trunk is surprisingly spacious for coupe. I would say it should be more than enough for daily use and might even rival 3-Series saloon. BMW did a great job here and now whole volume equals to 440l.

Rear seats fold in 40:20:40, so you can even take long items with you. Rear badge is standard here, I wonder if this model will get new-styled logo though… Note small camera pin right in the badge.

Interior

As for the interior it is pretty much the same as on BMW 3-Series with several exceptions. Door panels are new here because doors are long on coupe. Whole seating position is quite comfortable and the only concern is the left pillar. I would wait for test-drive in order to see how it feels in real-live experience.

Whole dashboard design language should be familiar if you met current cars from BMW. We get two large displays with really fast OS inside. I have to note that we get one of the best infotainment systems on the market. It is easy to handle and you won’t even need the manual to understand what is what.

Front seats fold automatically once you pull them, and let you access the second row. I have to admit that rear seats are quite spacious for coupe. It wouldn’t be an issue to travel in group of four on this car. Looks like 4-Series has all the chances to become gran turismo hit among fans of long voyages. I didn’t have any problems with sitting in the rear, the only thing that is important to learn – how to get in and get out. 😀

Engines

Both cars on the photos were M440i xDrive. It means 374bhp under the hood and 4.5 sec acceleration to 100km/h. This version also features special electric engine which helps to accelerate faster. Still it is impressive to see such numbers in “civil” 4-Series coupe. Moreover, this is the first 4-Series to feature “M” in front of model name. Previous generation was “just” 440.

Of course, you also get a choice from diesel engines. There will be M440d as well, which also accelerates to 100km/h in impressive 4.7 sec. Not bad for fuel-efficient car, right? I guess we might see plug-in hybrid as well because it is already offered in current 3-Series.

It is pretty tight under the hood, but note that engine is moved into wheelbase. Such configuration helped achieve better weight distribution and handling in turns. Engine support frame is made out of lighter material what also influenced weight ratio.

There is no manual option for this car, so if you want one – better wait for M4. Yes, I do agree it is sad to see manual go, and it is a bit strange to have it as “premium” feature. It would be funny to have M440i with manual gearbox, oh yeah… Well, this model gets special “Sprint” mode which can be ordered separately. It turns whole car settings into aggressive, what might be helpful for overtaking or driving fast in some cases. 🙂

BMW 4-Series – Availability

Pre-orders are open already. Nevertheless, first BMW 4-Series orders will be arriving in September. Moreover, there are some diesel versions which will come only in the next year. My guess is that whole COVID situation influenced release schedule, but at least we have top option available straight from the start…

As for the car itself, I can say it is matter of getting used to. Design perception is way too personal thing, but I have no doubt that we will get used to and there won’t be that much fuss year later. Don’t forget that old BMW featured big grilles, so this is not the first time and there is nothing to be shocked from.

P.S.: As a small bonus I would like to show you dark grey BMW 4-Series with shadowline grille. Do you notice how such color choice hides the main feature of this car?

I truly hope that BMW will introduce more color choice to this coupe because all these bright shades on 8-Series look great in person.

What do you think?

0 points
Upvote Downvote

Total votes: 0

Upvotes: 0

Upvotes percentage: 0.000000%

Downvotes: 0

Downvotes percentage: 0.000000%

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Bulova Surfboard Dial Photo

Bulova Surfboard Chronograph 98A252 Review

Bulova Hack Watch 98A255 Review

Bulova Hack Watch 98A255 Review