FORECOURT
BMW 4 SERIES GRAN COUPE
THE KNOWLEDGE
BMW 420d M Sport Gran Coupe Price (as tested): £48,940 Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel Power (combined): 187bhp Torque (combined): 400Nm Max speed: 146mph O-60mph: 7.1 seconds MPG (combined): 56.5mpg Emissions: 132g/km CO2
Under the bonnet The 2.0-litre diesel engine delivers 187bhp and 400Nm of torque.
We’ve already tried the top M440i version, but can a 420d prove a better real-world choice? Ted Welford finds out. WHAT IS IT? You mean you don’t recognise it from that grille? If you’ve been paying any attention to BMWs in recent months, you’ll know its cars’ faces have been attracting quite some stick – first with the 4 Series Coupe and more recently with the bold iX. But we’re already adjusting to these bold grilles, and next up to get this treatment is the 4 Series Gran Coupe. First conceived as a niche idea to bridge the gap between a regular coupe and BMW’s more sensible 3 Series, it’s now the best-selling 4 Series derivative, with its greater roominess. WHAT’S NEW? Its interior is far more modern than its predecessor, thanks to a large touchscreen centred in the dash, along with fancy digital dials. It’s also roomier than its Gran Coupe predecessor, while it gains all of BMW’s latest technology – not least safety kit, with 40 automated systems available, including one that can do the reverse of your last manoeuvres to back you out of tight streets or spaces, for example. WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? At launch, the Gran Coupe is offered predominantly with petrol engines – the 420i, 430i and M440i – but here we’re trying what is currently the only diesel, the 420d. Power is sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox in the case of our car, although you can choose it with all-wheel drive if you’re worried about getting stuck in winter. There’s also a light electrification element, with a 48-volt starter-generator able to assist the engine with a light power boost, while also taking some of the strain from it too. WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? The thick-rimmed steering wheel takes a bit of time to get used to, but once you’ve wrapped your hands around it, it handles especially well, along with minimal body roll. We’d also strongly advise choosing the £2,500 M Sport Pro Pack, predominantly for the adaptive suspension setup that lets you have sportier damping when needed, although for the most part, it’s best leaving it in Comfort mode, where the ride is impressively supple. HOW DOES IT LOOK? The way the 4 Series looks is always going to be a sore subject because of that grille, but we reckon it doesn’t look too bad, especially on a car painted in a darker colour. All versions in the UK are M Sport cars too, meaning a sportier design on the exterior, along with a range of gloss black elements. The only thing we don’t like is the contrasting trim
34 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
