Bold grille leads the way for new BMW 4 Series

BMW has lifted the wraps from its all-new 4 Series coupe, and it won’t have escaped your notice that it introduces a bold, new styling. Principal amongst the changes is the introduction of BMW’s huge new kidney-shaped grille.

We’ll return to the grille — which I suspect will be something of a Marmite feature, in that you either love it, or hate it — later. From launch, prices start from £39,870 for the 420i M Sport (up £3,670 on the equivalent 3 Series) and rise to £53,875 for the M440i. First deliveries are expected to start in October.

Set to go head-to-head with the likes of the Mercedes C-Class Coupe and Audi A5, the 4 Series remains an evolution of the 3 Series. The previous 4 Series saw BMW separate the coupe and the 3 Series on which it was based; essentially the 3 Series Coupe became the 4 Series. (Hope you’re keeping up) And really, most people saw it as nothing much more than a change of name.

However, step forward to the new 4 Series. This latest two door certainly has its own identity — the large front grille notwithstanding — and has clearly been designed to be its own standalone model.

Isn’t it a 3 Series in new clothes?

Well, it shares its platform with the current 3 Series, but the engineers have introduced a number of significant revisions to ensure the 4 Series feels much sportier. Amongst the improvements are a wider rear track — increased by 28mm — and standard M Sport suspension.

At 4,768 millimetres, the new car is 128mm longer than its predecessor and 27mm wider (now 1,852mm), and its wheelbase has grown by 41mm to 2,851mm. Only 6mm has been added to the vehicle height, which is now 1,383mm. Short overhangs, slender pillars, long doors with frameless windows and a flowing roofline all combine to deliver what is, unquestionably, a sleek look.