BMW 4 Series 2021 preview: the popular coupe gets a bold new design

BMW unveiled a redesigned 4 Series coupe on Tuesday. It is the first member of the redesigned 4 Series family that will feature a bold new look and eventually spawn a battery-electric vehicle called the i4.

The new coupe will arrive in dealerships later this year as a 2021 model, with prices starting at $46,595. This is the price of the 430i rear-wheel drive model. Adding all-wheel drive will cost an additional $2,000.

Also available at launch will be the M440i with all-wheel drive as standard, starting at $59,495. Both include a destination charge.

A new 4 Series convertible, 4 Series Gran Coupe, and high-performance M4 are also planned. Also confirmed for launch during 2021 is the new i4 battery-electric sedan, which will likely appear as a 2022 model.

Designers have given the 4 Series a look that is mostly an evolution of its styling, but with a new and rather dramatic take on the traditional kidney grille. This look was previewed in last year's Concept 4 and draws inspiration from past sport BMWs like the prewar 328 and the 1970s 3.0 CSi.

In addition to styling, the new 4 Series is a solid upgrade to what was already an impressive car. The new 4 Series is based on BMW Group's CLAR modular platform, but with special tweaks to give it its own unique character. For example, compared to the 3 Series sedan, which is also based on the CLAR platform, the coupe 4 Series is 2.2 inches longer, 2.2 inches lower and has a 1.0 inch wider track. In addition, body reinforcements have been added to improve rigidity and stiffness.

The 4 Series also has reduced aerodynamic drag, increased negative camber, and sportier tuning of the suspension, steering, and brakes for a sharper, more focused driving experience According to BMW, the 4 Series' agility and lateral acceleration are significantly improved over the 3 Series, resulting in better overall handling.

In terms of powertrains, the 430i is powered by an inline-4 2.0-liter turbo that delivers 255 hp and 294 lb-ft of torque, while the M440i is powered by a 3.0-liter inline-6 turbo and mild hybrid system that delivers 382 hp and 364 lb-ft of torque. ft. The mild hybrid system temporarily boosts output by 11 hp. The mild hybrid system integrates a starter motor and generator to recover energy during braking.

Only an 8-speed automatic transmission is available; BMW has not revealed the M4's power, but it should be powered by the same twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder (codenamed S58) that debuted in the 2020 BMW X3 M and X4 M. Rumor has it that this engine will be detuned for models equipped with a manual transmission and rear-wheel drive, and should produce close to 473 hp for automatic-equipped models with all-wheel drive as standard. The more powerful M4 Competition, with 503 hp, should also be available, along with the CS and CSL models, which are specialized for circuit driving.

As for the i4, it will be the most powerful model in the 4 Series family with a battery-electric powertrain producing 523 hp. The model's 80-kilowatt-hour battery will provide a range of more than 250 miles on a single charge.

The only way BMW differentiates the two models is not by the larger size of the 4 Series over the 3 Series; the center console layout of the 4 Series is unique, as is the shifter design. Analog instrument clusters are standard, but a fully digital cluster with a 12.3-inch display is also available, which should be standard equipment on cars in this price range.

Thankfully, BMW offers a number of electronic driver assistance features as standard. It includes lane departure warning with steering correction, frontal collision warning, pedestrian warning with braking, blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert, rear collision preparation, automatic high beams, and speed limit information. Options include a parking assist package, which adds a surround-view camera.

For more information on the BMW 4 Series, read Car Connection's in-depth review.