FIRMED UP FOUR
The revised BMW 4-series has gotten a firmer chassis, but the harder part for it in Thailand is its price position against the Merc equivalent
The BMW 4-series Coupe is widely considered the benchmark two-door model in its class to beat — just like how its illustrious 3-series Coupe predecessors managed to do in the luxury car market. Things to like about the 4-series Coupe are the classy coupe profile, genuine seating for four adults, slick petrol and diesel engines and class-leading handling and ride balance.
And there’s the competition. For years, archrival Mercedes-Benz didn’t have a very smooth transition with mid-size coupes because it came in several confusing guises. The CLK, for one, was succeeded by the CLC three-door hatch. The CLC was then replaced by the C-class Coupe, which was nearly the same in size and price as the E-class Coupe in their previous generations.
But the latest C-class Coupe is now a proper rival for the 4-series Coupe. The two-door manages to possess those aforementioned attributes of the Bimmer, although Thai punters never got to experience diesel performance in a Merc coupe.
Making things worse for BMW was MercedesBenz’s recent decision to assemble the C-class Coupe in Thailand. As a result, prices of the petrolpowered 211hp C250 Coupe are the most attractive in its class: 3.24 million baht for Sport and 3.59 million for AMG Dynamic.
The 4-series Coupe, on the other hand, has always been an import from Germany with only 190hp diesel power to choose from: 3.999 million baht in AMG Dynamic-rivaling M Sport trim.
That said, BMW might have to adjust its strategy for the 4-series Coupe even though this segment isn’t big for luxury car players in Thailand. Which is why the mid-life update that was recently announced for the 4-series Coupe in Europe might be of some use for the marketing lads at the Thai BMW office.
But as the revision is very small, BMW Thailand is set to only reposition the 4-series Coupe when sales start later this year by juggling engine variances here and there in the 3-4 million baht price bracket.
It must also be noted that Audi’s new A5 Coupe can now be had in 190hp petrol form from 3.699 million baht. BMW is most likely to continue selling the 4-series Coupe as an import (like the A5 Coupe) because local assembly would only make sense with an all-new model.
Can the updated 4-series Coupe still be a car worth contemplating over the C-class Coupe? After a driving it at the media launch in Germany, it’s safe to assume that BMW Thailand can’t simply rely on product substance because the changes, as said earlier, are microscopic.
The exterior sees lightly massaged bumpers and now gets LED lights all-round. The interior, on the other hand, receives improved stitching and trim, plus a new electronic instrument panel that’s made to look like analogue. That’s about it on the visual side of things.
Because of that, the design in the 4-series Coupe won’t really set pulses of punters racing in showrooms. The more rigid lines of the BMW probably won’t feel as inspirational as the wavy themes found in the Merc. But be in no doubt: the 4-series Coupe still has a well-built interior and upmarket feel.
The only mechanical change employed into the 4-series Coupe is the stiffer suspension as BMW wants to improve the handling “without sacrificing ride comfort”.
Well, that’s going to be a little difficult to tell because handling has really never been a problem in the 4-series Coupe. In fact, it has always been the best in its class and the sturdy feel of this revision can surely be felt when zipping down the autobahn at high speeds.
Germany mostly has smoothly paved roads, so the ride is generally free from criticism. Whether it’s going to feel firm over rutted roads like those in Thailand is another thing. But by our reckoning it should be acceptable enough.
It’s worth noting that chassis of various models from different brands usually tend to be made more comfortable when the time to revise them comes. If the 4-series Coupe doesn’t really lose out on comfort as claimed, then it’s a class-leader in this aspect even if the Merc runs close to it in this particular aspect.
The only engine available for test around the Bavarian roads was the 326hp 3.0-litre petrol-turbo. And because BMW makes some of the finest six-cylinder engines, the so-badged 440i is virtually flawless on the move: big on both power and refinement. If it was to sell in Thailand, the 440i can’t have a price exceeding the Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe, which comes with 367hp performance at just over 5 million baht.
For under 4 million baht, the 4-series Coupe can only be made competitive in Thailand with four-cylinder power. Sure, the diesel-powered 190hp 420d can sell uniquely in its way, but reviving the 184hp 420i petrol head can also fend off buyers from going to either than Audi or Mercedes.
In the end, it’s not about how good the 4-series Coupe drives against its competitors. As said earlier, it’s also about how BMW is going to reposition it. And given the track record of how Germany’s luxury carmakers slug it out on Thai turf (riddled with all kinds of biased taxes), it’s quite a given that the 4-series Coupe will remain quite decent in the remaining 2-3 years of this generation.