Business World

Need sportiness? Dial 4

The BMW 4 Series Coupe is now here

- By Angel Rivero

DISCERNING MOTORISTS who seek a heightened level of car athleticis­m and exclusivit­y are in for a treat, as SMC Asia Car Distributo­rs Corp. — the country’s official importer and distributo­r of BMW vehicles — recently launched the much-anticipate­d BMW 4 Series Coupe in the Philippine­s. The 4 Series is the sister model of BMW’s highly popular 3 Series; also manufactur­ed in Munich but set apart via its knack for greater sporting ability and driving exclusivit­y.

The new BMW 4 Series Coupe now takes a significan­t design departure from the 3 Series — characteri­zed by its controvers­ially large, front kidney grille (which is inspired by the 1930s BMW 328) — in order to better distinguis­h the two models from each other. It is now locally available in two variants: the 420i Model Advantage and the 420i M Sport.

Both are equipped with a 2.0-liter BMW TwinPower turbo four-cylinder gasoline engine paired with an eightspeed Steptronic automatic transmissi­on (Steptronic Sport transmissi­on in the M Sport variant). The said engine offers a robust 184hp and 300 Nm of torque.

This second-generation BMW 4 Series Coupe now flaunts greater exterior dimensions than its predecesso­r, and is specifical­ly 128mm longer, 27mm wider and 6mm taller — though in comparison to the 3 Series sedan, it is 57mm lower. The 420i M Sport variant is fitted with a special M Sport suspension that lowers the vehicle by 10mm. Moreover, the new 4 Series tracks are now 28mm wider at the front and 18mm wider at the rear — making it also 23mm wider than those of the current BMW 3 Series.

Inside the cabin are ergonomic sport seats which in the 420i Model Advantage are wrapped in Sensatec leather; while in the M Sport variant are special M Sport seats with lumbar support, upholstere­d with Leather Vernasca. The former comes with a newly designed, multifunct­ion sport leather steering wheel; the latter carries an M Leather steering wheel and special M Seat belts. The start/stop button is now located in the center console.

Meanwhile, the rear seats are split 40:20:40 and the individual sections can be controlled to fold or release via a button in the boot. Speaking of which, its storage capacity is 440 liters — not bad for a sporty vehicle with a tapering roofline.

The 4 Series Coupe carries BMW’s standard Live Cockpit Plus, which is comprised of a central iDrive control center via an 8.8-inch display supported with a touch controller; and a black panel instrument cluster positioned around a 5.1-inch color display with multimedia and navigation systems. Ready for plugging into are two USB ports. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a BMW Intelligen­t Personal Assistant are standard.

The all-new BMW 4 Series Coupe is equipped with LED headlamps, fog lights, and rear lights. The Model Advantage is fitted with 18-inch light alloy wheels with run-flat tires; while the M Sport shows off with its high-gloss shadow-line trim alongside its 19-inch M light alloy wheels with run-flat tires.

The BMW 420i Model Advantage is available for P3.99 million, while the 420i M Sport is priced at P4.59 million. Of course, both variants come with BMW Philippine­s’ standard fiveyear/200,000-km (whichever comes first) manufactur­er’s warranty — the leading standard in after-sales care in the premium automotive segment in the country.

D-Max,

new turn indicator function and a remote start functional­ity,” reported IPC.

The vehicle comes with a slew of safety features: anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distributi­on with brake assist, electronic stability control with traction control system, hill start assist and hill descent control, and a brake override system.

For the top variant (the 3.0 LS-E), Isuzu throws in an advanced driver assist system that “employs state-of-the-art sensors and a first-in-its-class Smart Duo Cam that enables the D-Max to constantly monitor the surroundin­g environmen­t.” Isuzu piles on the active and passive safety measures: forward collision warning, autonomous emergency brake, turn assist, pedal misapplica­tion mitigation, adaptive cruise control, manual speed limiter, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, parking aid, and multi-collision brake.

The D-Max also comes with seven air bags, and has been given a five-star safety rating by the ASEAN New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

The pickup is available at the special introducto­ry prices below.

The 4 Series is the sister model of BMW’s highly popular 3 Series — also manufactur­ed in Munich but set apart via its knack for greater sporting ability and driving exclusivit­y.

IPC also shared that the first 200 customers who will reserve and purchase the vehicle will receive a special-edition Isuzu D-Max Miniature. Additional­ly, 50 limited-edition D-Max G-Shock watches will be raffled off to all qualified customers nationwide. For more informatio­n, visit www.isuzuphil.com or an Isuzu dealership.

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 ?? THIS PHOTO BY AUTHOR, OTHERS FROM SMC ASIA CAR DISTRIBUTO­RS CORP. ??
THIS PHOTO BY AUTHOR, OTHERS FROM SMC ASIA CAR DISTRIBUTO­RS CORP.

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