BrilliantBMWa power rush
BMW didn’t make many friends when it revealed its bucktoothed new grille last year. But is it really that bad in the metal, ponders Nile Bijoux.
BMW’s divisive new grille is here. Does it really make the 2020 M440i a bad car?
Why on earth did BMW make the grille that big?
Apparently it ‘‘evokes classicBMW sporting icons such as the 328 and 3.0 CS’’. I didn’t think those cars had great big nostrils but whatever. It’s here now, like it or not, and it seems to be one of those cars that really evokes a reaction.
No-one I asked sat on the fence, they either thought it was fantastic or dismal. Long-termBMW subscribers typically sit in the latter camp.
Personally, the more I’ve seen it the better it looks but, to be fair, I’m often in the car, not looking at it from the outside.
What the grille does well is separate the new 4 Series from otherBMWpassenger cars. It’s instantly recognisable and there’s enough performance behind the grille of the M440i to justify the bold styling.
BMWhas increased the dimensions of the 4 Series, with length, width and height bumped by 128mm, 27mm and 6mm respectively to 4768mm, 1852mm and 1383mm. This gives the car a more sporting form than both the old 4 Series, helped by reusing the new 3 Series’ CLAR architecture. The wheelbase has been extended by 41mm to 2851mm and the tracks have been increased by 28mm at the front and 18mm at the rear. Finally, the centre of gravity has been dropped by 21mm thanks to more aluminium in the construction.
So there’s more at play than just slapping a bigger grille on a slightly altered body and calling it a day.
At least it’s definitely a BMW to drive, right?
Yes and no. The M440i is an xDrive coupe, which means it has allwheel-drive. Another reason for BMW traditionalists to pooh-pooh the car. But really that means more confidence to give the throttle a bootful, more often.
Pressing the traction control button once puts the system into Dynamic mode which basically tells the traction control (TC) to send more power rearward and let the wheels slip a bit more.
Result – more of an old-school rear-wheel-drive experience but with the safety net of advanced electronics and the front wheels helping pull the nose around. It’s good too, the TC isn’t abrupt when it cuts in, smoothly managing the driver’s hooliganism. Helping in this regard is a specially tuned M-Sport suspension set up with electrically controlled adaptive dampers.
Combined with the lower centre of gravity, the new M440i is a weapon at speed. The steering is nicely linear so it’s easy to figure out what the front end is doing and the adaptive suspension does well at sorting out uneven Kiwi roads.
Just be aware that there is still a lot of power under the bonnet and if you decide to try dynamic traction control in the wet, there’s a good chance the rear will be catching up with the front sooner than you might anticipate.
So what’s powering this thing?
It’s a 3.0-litre turbo-charged straight six, a revvy thing that spins up close to 7000rpm, making power at almost every part of the rev range. Thanks to a new 48 volt mild hybrid system, there’s an extra 8kW at your disposable for acceleration, engine-off coasting and faster stop-start operation. Not only is it hugely driveable but that new tech means it’s not ridiculous on fuel, either. The claimed consumption is 7.8L/100km and while we saw figures a bit higher, closer to 10L/100km (11 after crucial performance testing), that’s still not that bad.
The extra kilowatts offered by the 48 volt system means 0-100kmh sprints take 4.5 seconds, just
0.3 seconds slower than the noncompetition-spec new M4, which is spitting out 353kW/550Nm. Compare that to the 275kW/500Nm M440i and it’s easy to see which is the better deal in terms of bang for buck, at least in this metric.
The eight-speed auto is the same unit as found in the 3 Series. It isn’t quite as emotive as AMG’s dualclutch banger, shifting smoothly but without fanfare, though that itch should be nicely scratched with the forthcoming M4. You can shift yourself via wheel-mounted paddles but the transmission will often be just fine left to its own devices.
Another niggle with the M440i is the sound. Same as with the M340i, the second-rung 4 Series just doesn’t quite make enough of a howl to do that engine justice. Shame.
What about the interior?
The M440i is familiar inside, with a similar layout to the current 3 Series.
There’s a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.25-inch infotainment display. The latter can be operated via touch or the rotary dial, but I quickly gave up on the gesture controls. Easier to use physical buttons and knobs.
The fit and finish is lovely though, with plenty of leather and soft touch materials.
There’s even a belt carrier that juts out from the B pillar when you close the door so you’re not waving your arm behind the seat trying to hunt down the seatbelt.
Active safety is all taken care of too, with BMW’s Driving Assistant Professional coming standard on the M440i, which includes things like active cruise control, lane-keep assist, autonomous emergency braking and rear-cross alert.
Crucial question – can I actually use the back seat?
While this might not be something most 4 Series owners will do, at least those with the two-door variants, the rear seats can be used for real people. I had a couple of friends sit in the back while we went for a drive and they reported it was ‘‘surprisingly roomy’’. Head clearance was OK and with the front seats pulled a little closer to the front, legroom was fine too.
Any other cars to consider?
For $130k, you’re looking at the Mercedes-AMG C 43 Coupe or the Audi S5, though that’s technically a four-door. You could also consider the much cheaper Ford Mustang GT and save money by missing out on the luxury and tech of the German models.