BMW 4 Series Coupé
New executive coupé gets bold looks and mild hybrid technology for some models, with a plug-in hybrid to come On sale October Price from £39,870 ‘The 4 Series shares much with the 3 Series saloon – our favourite executive car’
FIRST LOOK
BEAUTY IS ENTIRELY subjective, and there’s no rulebook for creating a masterpiece.that’s why, despite the fact that it’s one of the most famous works of art in the world, some still look at Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and see a slightly dowdy and entirely ordinary painting.and while some will gaze upon the new BMW 4 Series Coupé, focus on its gigantic front grille and wonder what the designers were thinking when they created it, others will be clamouring to put one on their driveway.
The new 4 Series is bigger all round than its predecessor and its front and rear axles are farther apart to improve passenger space. However, its boot has shrunk slightly compared with that of the outgoing model.you’ll be able to pack more for your holidays than you can in the rival Mercedes-benz C-class Coupé, but the Audi A5 Coupé can take more luggage still. And like the current car, this 4 Series is a strict four-seater, although its rear bench can split and fold if you need to extend the boot.
At launch, buyers can choose from three petrol engines and one diesel.the petrol range kicks off with a 181bhp 2.0-litre turbo in the 420i model and continues through a 254bhp 2.0-litre turbo (330i) to a 3.0-litre sixcylinder turbo with 369bhp in the M440i.this range-topping model has a 0-62mph sprint time that’s quick enough to beat a Porsche 911 sports car. Meanwhile, the 420d’s 187bhp 2.0-litre diesel promises fuel economy of up to 72.4mpg and a CO2 output of 103g/km.
An eight-speed automatic gearbox is standard across the range, with rear-wheel drive the default setup. Four-wheel drive is optional on the 420d and standard on the 440i, and it’s likely to be available on other variants in the future.
More powerful 282bhp 330d and 335bhp M440d diesels will arrive next March, with a plug-in hybrid 430e due later on.this produces a combined 248bhp from a 2.0-litre petrol engine and an electric motor and promises at least 30 miles of electric-only range.
A high-performance M4 super-coupé will arrive later next year with a specially tuned 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine that produces 503bhp.
Diesel-engined versions of the 4 Series, plus the M440i petrol, now come with mild hybrid technology as standard, using a 48volt electrical system and a small battery. This setup can harvest energy that would be lost when braking, redeploying it to boost acceleration or ease the engine load at other times to help reduce fuel consumption.
12 August 2020
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