Monday 3rd February 2014

BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe details

The inexorable rise of the BMW niche-buster continues with the four-door 4 Series

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3 Series saloon too staid? 4 Series too impractical? 3 GT just too damn ugly? Well all praise BMW, there may now be a solution; the 4 Series Gran Coupe.

A four-door 3 Series that isn't a 3 Series

Following the 6 Series and almost certain to feature in the 2 Series range as well, the Gran Coupe is essentially a four-door version of the coupe that was derived from the four-door. Confused? The length (4,638mm) and width (1,825mm) are identical to the standard 4 but the roof is 12mm higher, 112mm longer and 'gently stretched'.

The advantage of this is more headroom for rear seat passengers and another 35 litres of boot space at 480 litres. A 40:20:40 split folding rear seat allows a maximum capacity of 1,300 litres.

BMW describes the Gran Coupe as a '4+1' seater, possibly the most ridiculous configuration title since the Evora's 2+0. In practice that means four people can get in easily through the frameless doors with a fifth perched atop a token middle seat ('console surface' is the technical term) straddling the transmission tunnel. 4+1 seater then.

The Gran Coupe is essentially very similar to the 4 Series elsewhere. The dash is identical with the same Modern, Sport, Luxury and M Sport specifications available on top of the standard SE. A 143hp 418d kicks off the range with a 420d, 420i, 428i and 435ialso initially offered. BMW's xDrive 4WD will be an option on the 420d and 428i, plus there are three transmission choices (a six-speed manual, eight-speed auto or eight-speed sport auto). The other engines currently offered in the 4 Series will surely arrive in time. Enough choice you think?

When's the M4 coming?

With Chris having so enjoyed the M6 Gran Coupe recently, we can't help but hope for an M4 equivalent soon. That's certainly a more appealing prospect than the M4 cabriolet, that's for sure.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe will be launched at Geneva, although we don't yet have a date for UK sales. Prices will probably reflect the strategy used for the 6 Series, with the four-door coupe costing more than the two-door but less than the cabriolet. Got that? So given a standard 420d SE is £31,795 and the drop-top 420d is £36,675, expect the a 420d Gran Coupe to be somewhere around £34K.

 

[SR06]

Coupe = 2 doors.
This = 5 doors.

Although it does actually look pretty good...is it not technically a 5 door hatch?

It has 5 doors, 1 with hinges at the top!

What is the difference between this and say, a 5 door Focus?

[Yorkshirepud]

I'm so confused. I thought I had it.

[Elneld]

so, like a sierra and a sierra sapphire? So ford was doing this long before Audi and BMW.

[MitchT]

So basically it's a low-slung 3 Series GT. I suppose it's nice if you want something sexier than the saloon but you need four doors.

[rlc18]

I don't even...

What the...

What is this...

Who am I!?

Why?

[MrTappets]

Almost can't really see the point of the basic 3-series saloon now. If you need the space then surely the Touring is better looking, cooler and more spacious; if you don't then this is also better looking. I guess the deciding factor is the fleet sales.

[willisit]

Fair enough that enthusiasts (even those not of BMWs) could work out the rats nest that is the 1/2/3/4/5/6/6 range and every sub-brand... but what of Joe Public? Completely mad.

[bagseye]

All these extra body styles and a shape for every person must be a dangerous game for the companies, no?

Increased costs and materials and lots of unsold stock.

Although the ever increasing prices will probably help counter that.

[simundo777]

If it was April I'd be sure this was a windup!!

Whats next a coupe version of the 3 series, oh wait...

[kambites]

I think for me, this will be the second most desirable version of the 3-series (after the estate). The 3-GT is just too damned ugly and I've never really seen the appeal of saloon style boots.

To give BMW another niche to aim at, a hatchback version of the 2-door 4-series would be nice.

[RGambo]

No, for christ sake, just NO!

So are we going to have an M4 grandcoupe?

[FourWheelDrift]

bagseye said:

All these extra body styles and a shape for every person must be a dangerous game for the companies, no?

Increased costs and materials and lots of unsold stock.

I'm betting that almost everything is shared with the other cars and all they need to do is stamp out a slightly different piece of bodywork and very few new bits. Small costs increase, customer choice expanded, more sales generated.

[lestiq]

handsome car, far more muscular than the 3 series. Why would you even bother buying the 3 now? have BMW just headshot the 3?

[Garlick]

Bloke 1: I've got a 3-Series

Bloke 2: Nice. 2-door?

B1: 4-door, the 2-door is now called a 4-Series

B2: Oh right, so my neighbour has a large looking 4/5-door, but like an SUV thingy

B1: That's the 3-Series GT

B2: Ummm, right.

B1: And the sportier looking one is called a 4-Series Gran Coupe

B2: ...I see, and because that's called a 4-Series it has two doors, right? I think I've got the hang of this!

B1: Er, no. The 4-Series Gran Coupe is a 5-door.

B2: (walks away)

[kambites]

lestiq said:

handsome car, far more muscular than the 3 series. Why would you even bother buying the 3 now? have BMW just headshot the 3?

I assume this will be significantly more expensive. Same as the 6GC against the 5.

[stumpage]

BMW/ Audi following Ford and Vauxhall with the family hatchback. Next thing they will be making them front wheel drive.

[kambites]

stumpage said:

BMW/ Audi following Ford and Vauxhall with the family hatchback. Next thing they will be making them front wheel drive.

90% of the Audis are.

[Agent Orange]

lestiq said:

handsome car, far more muscular than the 3 series. Why would you even bother buying the 3 now? have BMW just headshot the 3?

I suspect because a significant proportion of 3 Series saloon buyers are business and the Gran Coupe will be outside of their monthly budget. I don't see this as having an impact on the vast majority of 3 Series saloon buyers.

Very nice looking car. If I didn't need an estate I'd seriously consider one.

[Mark Wibble]

FFS.

It's a nice-looking car to be fair, but talk about convoluted range.

IMHO, if they insist on splitting their ranges all 4/5-door variants should be the odd number, 2/3-door even number. Then *this* should be the 3-GT, and they should hit the actual 3-GT over the head repeatedly and put it in the bin. And yes, I'm allowing them a new niche of a 3-door variant.

And while we're here, can someone who's good at Alan Partridge impressions go to a dealership pretending to buy any of the not-a-coupe coupes and get all pedantic with them? I'd like to see a video of that...

[British Beef]

Currently scratching my nuts wondering how many other iterations of the same car the Germans can make ????

Life used to be so much simpler, phones were for talking on, 3 series were small family cars and 5 series larger, M3 and M5 were the sporting versions of each....

Looks.... erm..... nice, like the 4 series and 3 series, but more like the one with 4 doors.... whichever that is!!