What's all this about?

There’s a new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, which is essentially the four-door version of the 4 Series Coupe. You know, the two-door version of the 3 Series Saloon. Yes, it’s a four-door version of a two-door version of a four-door car, but it’s also the basis of BMW’s electric executive car, the i4, and that’s also been revamped as part of the update.

It doesn’t look that different…

Ah, about that. This is an update in that things have changed, but not that much. Look closely and you’ll see some slightly different headlights, but that’s about it. The massive grille is still there, albeit with matt chrome accents on every model, and the shape is largely the same, but minor changes have been made. Take, for example, the exhaust pipes, which are now 100mm in diameter, rather than the 90mm seen on the old 4 Series models.

However, you might notice some fresh paintwork in these images, with Cape York Green and Fire Red joining the line-up, along with some natty new alloy wheel designs. Some models also get a glossy black diffuser section in the rear bumper.

Has anything changed inside?

Not much. There are some new and more sustainable materials, plus an update for the in-car entertainment and some new colour schemes. BMW has also given some models a new polygonal steering wheel, while the M Performance models get a flat-bottomed sports steering wheel with a “discreet” centre marker denoting the straight-ahead position.

So what’s the fuss about?

Primarily, it’s about the engine range. BMW has added a new 3.0-litre diesel option to the range in the shape of the mild-hybrid 430d xDrive Gran Coupe, which gets a 286hp, six-cylinder turbodiesel engine that drives all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. With mild hybrid tech, it has the ability to shut down earlier to save fuel, and the 48-volt hybrid system helps the car produce an extra 11hp to help the engine out when it’s under load.

Sounds good, but is that it?

Not at all. Arguably bigger news is the introduction of a new electric powertrain for the i4 models, which sits above the eDrive35 and eDrive40 models. Dubbed the xDrive40, the new system uses two electric motors to provide 401hp and all-wheel drive, as well as an official range of 276-341 miles from a single charge of the 81.1kWh battery pack. And with 205kW charging, it can be topped up with up to 90 miles of official range in 10 minutes at maximum charging speed.

That’s more like it. So how much will all this cost?

BMW hasn’t said as yet, but the new 4 Series Gran Coupe and i4 models are set to launch in the summer, and we expect to find out more about pricing and specifications then.

James Fossdyke - 22 Apr 2024