New BMW 4 Series details confirmed
Hybrid 374hp M440i xDrive will top range, with all variants to be given a sportier setup than G20 3 Series equivalents
BMW is in the final stages of development stage for its all-new 4 Series, a car that the manufacturer has promised will take the dynamic merits of its G20-series platform to new heights - and be spearheaded by a 374hp M440i xDrive. Sharing much of its architecture with the four-door 3 Series, the G22 4 Series coupe will mix the advantages of a sleeker bodyshape with a dialling up of chassis performance, to provide the two-door with "a more individual composition than ever before" - which, given the talents of the 3 Series saloon, is music to our ears.
Even the humble 320d has impressed in the new range, so we need not explain the potential for a coupe version that has a 21mm lower centre of gravity and better weight distribution. BMW said that the 4 Series, which is 57mm lower than the 3 Series overall, is also slipperier through the air thanks to that coupe roofline and the addition of a lift-reducing boot spoiler.
Underneath its skin is BMW's latest aluminium and high strength steel CLAR structure, sporting double front wishbone and rear multi-line suspension but with bespoke tuning for the coupe. BMW understandably doesn't go into too much detail at this stage - it wants to keep the technical stuff secret until the actual launch - but there are no shortage of hints and clues that engineers have been tasked with increasing the sporting parameters of the base in the press release.
Dampers have been re-tuned, body-strengthening struts have been added and there's even an additional shear panel on the bulkhead to sharpen up front end handling - something that'll be enhanced by more negative front camber. At the back, the 4 Series gets bracing elements "to increase stiffness for improved straight-line stability and lateral acceleration" and a 23mm wider track for better traction. Not forgetting that the 'softer' setup beneath the 3 Series has proved to be a very good one indeed already, that all emphasises BMW's desire to establish the 4 Series not just as the sleeker version of the 3 Series - but as the driver's version, too.
Adding to that allure is the confirmation of an M440i range-topper, which will get the same 374hp/369lb ft turbocharged straight-six as the M340i, as well as its xDrive all-wheel drive hardware. The 4 Series will gain 48V mild-hybrid technology on top of that, with a 48V starter-generator and a second battery to provide boosts of 11hp under heavy load and also help trim CO2 overall, with drive channelled through BMW's eight-speed Steptronic Sport gearbox. There'll also be the usual M Sport additions, including the active torque-vectoring locking rear diff, adaptive dampers and 18-inch M light-alloy wheels.
While it's not been confirmed at this stage, we remain optimistic that BMW will produce a 430i variant with the 258hp 2.0-litre four-cylinder and rear-wheel drive, a combination that works so well in the saloon. Mixing decent punch with the merits of the 4 Series chassis into a two-wheel drive base might create an unexpected sweet spot - and potentially a way for CO2-limited company car drivers to receive something certified from the enthusiast's point of view. We remain hopeful, anyway.
That being said, the car that will cement the 4 Series' status most significantly will, of course, be the M4, a model that's expected in 2021 with 510hp. Better still, a manual gearbox is expected to remain a standard component. But that's next year. First up, we have what sounds like a very promising 4 Series to meet in the coming months. Lockdown can't lift soon enough.
Why with the new model couldn't at least one of the options been something like that?
I've tried a new 3 Series and really didn't gel with the instrument cluster.
The E90 series M3 car looked ok too but from a distance looked like a 320d with an M kit.
The 4 series dosent even come close to looking sporty to my eyes, even the M4 looked fat and enormously long and from a distance the 4 series all look the same.
This new one looks worse than the old one, almost American market only.
Here's looking forward to the new M3,hopefully she will look good 🤞🏼
Let's see what that grille ends up looking like.
Why with the new model couldn't at least one of the options been something like that?
I've tried a new 3 Series and really didn't gel with the instrument cluster.
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