BMW unveils new 4 Series

Wednesday, 3 June 2020

BMW has revealed the all-new 4 Series. And its massive grille.

BMW has revealed the new 4 Series, complete with massive kidney grille and mild hybrid powertrains.

That's right, the big ol' sniffer teased in various concepts has come to fruition, although it doesn't look as bad as we feared. The number plate sitting in the centre helps reduce the Bugs Bunny look a bit while the large air vents on each corner offset the impact of the grille somewhat.

The new looks extend to sleeker proportions, the profile mimicking the larger 8 Series, with the two-door shape helping retain a nice sloping roofline compared to the boxier 3 Series. Ride height has been dropped by 57mm compared to the 3, with a 23mm wider front and rear track. The centre of gravity has been lowered 21mm and, as a result, BMW says the 4 Series should have the dynamic edge over the 3 Series sedan.

This is the face of the new BMW 4 Series, like it or not. And, to be honest, it could have been worse.

Inside is the same driver-focused cockpit as the 3 Series, with standard SensaTec faux leather finished in either Canberra Beige or Black. Vernasca leather is an optional extra, coming in seven colours: Canberra Beige/Black, Tacora Red, Mocha, Cognac, Oyster, Black, and Black with Blue contrast stitching.

**READ MORE:

Pretty standard fare for a BMW interior, though that's hardly a bad thing.

* BMW 5 Series gets refreshed

* BMW spills details on upcoming 4 Series

The 4 Series looks quite a bit sportier than the 3 Series, though there are a lot of vents and fins happening at both ends.

* All you need to know about the all-new BMW 3-series for NZ

* The BMW i8 is now quite old, but still from the future

The infotainment system comprises BMW's latest iDrive 7, powering a standard 8.8-inch touchscreen. Those looking for more screen real estate can opt for a 10.3-inch version. Additionally, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are supported as well. Behind the wheel is either an analogue instrument cluster with a 5.1-inch digital readout or an optional 12.3-inch digital display.

Some new features include a cloud-based navigation system, a new head-up display that's 70 per cent larger than before and 3D environment virtualisation within the optional digital instrument cluster.

Power will be sourced by a range of petrol and diesel engine options. These start with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-pot (making 135kW/300Nm and 190kW/400Nm in the 420i and 430i respectively) before moving on to the diesels, comprising a 141kW 2.0-litre, a 213kW turbo six, and a 253kW turbo six. All diesel powertrains come with mild hybrid systems, which adds 8kW of temporary power and should help reduce emissions as well.

The flagship M440i xDrive steps things up again, with a new mild hybrid turbocharged straight-six making 285kW/500Nm, enough to send the two-door to 100kmh in just over four seconds. The xDrive suffix means all-wheel drive is included and while BMW doesn't say whether this is a fully adjustable AWD system like the M5's, we would imagine a small amount of rear-drive lunacy will still be possible.

All cooking 4 Series models get an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

The M440i will remain top dog until the M4 arrives, expected before the year's end. M has already confirmed the fastest 3 and 4 Series models will get the 375kW/600Nm 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six engines already found in the X3 and X4 M Competition models. In addition to the all-paw automatic versions, M will offer a manual transmission for the purists out there… all two dozen of them that will actually buy one. The M4 will then be joined by the all-electric i4.

We'll get more information on the local range closer to launch, expected around October, including price and specifications.