Bold BMW 4 Series Coupe makes official debut

BMW has unveiled its all-new 4 Series Coupe, which forms the basis of the next BMW M4 and will battle it out with the Audi A5 and Mercedes C-Class Coupe when it goes on sale in Australia in October.

Designed to create more of stylistic gap between it and the closely-related 3 Series sedan, the new-look BMW 4 Series is heavily influenced by the controversial Concept 4 revealed back at the 2019 Frankfurt show.

Like that car, the production 4 Series wears a more vertical, super-sized take on BMW's famed kidney shape grille, which is claimed to pay homage to the pre-war BMW 328 sports car.

Based on the same CLAR platform as the latest 3 Series, the new BMW 4 Series looks far sleeker in side profile and is punctuated by a rakish rear-end.

Speaking of which, BMW designers have given the 4 Series a larger pair of LED tail-lights and a rear bumper incorporating a dual-exit exhaust and a small diffuser.

Measuring in at 4788mm long, 1852mm wide and 1383mm tall, the new BMW 4 Series is 128mm longer, 27mm wider and 6mm taller than the car it replaces, with 28mm and 18mm wider front and rear wheel tracks respectively.

For European markets, the 4 Series will go on sale with three petrol engines and just one diesel.

Mirroring the 3 Series line-up, there's a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder with either 135kW (420i) or 189kW (430i) and a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel that, thanks to BMW's 48-volt mild-hybrid tech, produces 140kW (420d) and can average 3.9L/100km.

Top of the BMW 4 Series tree, until the next M4 arrives, is the all-wheel drive M440i xDrive that comes powered by a 48-volt mild-hybrid 3.0-litre inline turbo-petrol six-cylinder that produces 275kW of power and 500Nm of torque.

Claimed to hit 100km/h in just 4.5 seconds, the fast M440i tops out at a limited 250km/h while being capable of averaging up to 6.8L/100km – but not at the same time.

All engines come with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and rear-wheel drive (except the AWD M440i), while the M Sport cars come with a quicker-shifting and new 'Sprint' launch control feature.

Later on, in March 2021, BMW will launch flagship 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder diesel variants that produce 210kW (430d) or a punchier 250kW if you opt for the M440d xDrive.

All should be class-leading to drive, say BMW, with the coupe blessed with the a 50:50 weight distribution, the aforementioned wider track for higher cornering speeds and trick underbody air management that slashes the drag coefficient to just 0.25Cd for some models.

A stiffer body and chassis, thanks to extra strengthening for the body and suspension mountings, plus double-jointed front strut suspension and a five-link rear axle are said to all reduce body movement and improve agility.

All models get increased damping, firmer springs and thicker anti-roll bars, and even the standard set-up sees the 4 Series sit 10mm lower to the ground than the 3 Series.An optional Adaptive M suspension, meanwhile, adds adjustable dampers, a M Sport differential and variable steering.

Inside, the cabin looks very similar to the 3 Series sedan but there have been detailed changes including moving the start button to the centre console and a new drive selector.

Sport seats are standard, while the rear seats now split 40:20:40 and the boot shrinks ever so slightly to 440 litres (-5 litres).

For those who plan to track their 4 Series, or drive flat out on the Autobahn in Germany, BMW will offer a new Sport Pro package that adds the new M Sport gearbox, larger M Sport brakes and what's promised to be a "sporting engine soundtrack" in Sport Mode.

In markets like the UK, the new BMW 4 Series will command a £3670 ($A6700) price premium over the 3 Series sedan.

So expect the BMW 4 Series range to open at around $70,000 for the entry-level 420i, which will aim directly at the Audi A5 40 TFSI Coupe and Mercedes-Benz C 200 Coupe, and for the Australian line-up to also include the new 430i and M440i xDrive.

The new BMW M4 (and M3) is not expected to launch until 2021.