BMW NZ prices new 4 Series
Saturday, 18 July 2020
The all-new BMW 4 Series has been given local pricing, with the New Zealand range comprising two petrol powertrains.
Those looking at the cheaper side of things will be eyeing up the 420i, powered by a 135kW/300Nm 2.0-litre turbo-four paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It starts at $81,900.
Don’t be put off by the smaller numbers though, the 420i should still blaze the bends thanks to adaptive suspension and sporty seats coming standard. The two-litre should also make the car lighter at the front as well.
But if you want the best this side of an M4, you’re looking at the $129,900 M440i xDrive. If I say it has 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged straight-six you can probably guess the outputs but I’ll confirm them anyway – 275kW of power and 500Nm of torque. Though this time around a mild hybrid system is in play, which adds 8kW of temporary oomph and should help reduce emissions as well.
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The ‘M’ at the start of the model name denotes sporty characteristics, which translates into adaptive M suspension, M Sport brakes and an M Sport differential coming as standard. There are also performance tyres and an M Performance exterior package.
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.
In terms of other standard kit, the 420i has BMW’s Driving Assistant, which adds active safety gizmos, as well as Parking Assistant, which uses the onboard sensors to park the car autonomously. The M440i adds the Professional versions of both assistants (more features) as well as a Harmon/Kardon sound system, laser headlights and leather upholstery.
Compared to the current G20 3-Series Sedan, the sportier 4 Series Coupe packs additional chassis stiffening elements, a bespoke steering and suspension geometry setup, sits 57mm lower, has a 23mm wider rear track which results in a 21mm overall drop in centre of gravity for “even sharper driving characteristics,” according to BMW.
The M440i will remain top dog until the M4 arrives, expected before the year's end. M has already confirmed the very 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.