[Auto] Test BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé, aesthetics and versatility

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We have already been able to test the more familiar body variant of the BMW 4 Series, which adopts the surname Gran Coupé in reference to the adoption of the two rear access doors to the second row of seats. This has a starting price of 50,550 euros and the engines range from 184 to 374 hp, in diesel and gasoline variants.

In recent years we have seen more practical and familiar alternatives to BMW's benchmark coupes, such as the 8 Series Gran Coupé or the 2 Series Gran Coupé. Now history repeats itself with the benchmark coupe for the brand, and we have finally been able to see live and direct the most practical and familiar model in the range of some of BMW's most beloved models. The Series 4 gains two doors and with it a much higher level of practicality but without losing an iota of its legacy, which meets a second generation more attractive and practical than ever.

As we will already know, the BMW 4 Series can be purchased in 3 well differentiated bodies: Coupé, Cabrio and Gran Coupé. We already know the first two, but let's see what it offers us in this last variant. To get started, keeping it simple and to the point: add two doors. But this would be pulling towards an overly simplistic point of view, since to get to know this new body in depth, we must go a step beyond what is most apparently visible.

We have already been able to test the more familiar body variant of the BMW 4 Series, which adopts the surname Gran Coupé in reference to the adoption of the two rear access doors to the second row of seats. This has a starting price of 50,550 euros and the engines range between 184 and 374 hp, in diesel and gasoline variants.

In recent years we have seen more practical and familiar alternatives to BMW's benchmark coupes, such as the 8 Series Gran Coupé or the 2 Series Gran Coupé. Now history repeats itself with the brand's benchmark coupe, and we have finally been able to see the most practical and familiar model in the range of some of BMW's most beloved models live and direct. The Series 4 gains two doors and with it a much higher level of practicality but without losing an iota of its legacy, which finds a second generation more attractive and practical than ever.

As we will already know, the BMW 4 Series can be purchased in 3 well differentiated bodies: Coupé, Cabrio and Gran Coupé. We already know the first two, but let's see what it offers us in this last variant. To get started, keep it simple and straightforward: add two doors. But this would be pulling towards an excessively simplistic point of view, since to get to know this new body in depth you have to go a step beyond what is apparently more visible.

In this second generation, the trunk sees how its cargo space has been slightly reduced by 10 liters of volume, if we compare it with the previous generation. That one offered a capacity of 480 liters, while in this new one the figure stands at 470 liters. This happens as a result of providing the row of seats with a larger and more generous living space. For this, the position of these has been delayed, with the consequent reduction in the cargo space that, on the other hand, we must say that it continues to be more than generous, and we will not miss those tiny 10 liters that we have left along the way. . In case we need more space, its rear seats fold down in a 40:20:40 ratio, leaving us with a cargo volume of 1,290 liters and a space with a remarkably flat floor.

In the technological section, the operating system that installs this 4 Series Gran Coupé is the BMW 7.0 that we already know from the rest of the variants in the range, as well as from other models such as the BMW 3 Series. This optionally incorporates the instrument panel digital display and the 10.25-inch infotainment screen, which can be selected via the BMW Live Cockpit Professional which is included as an optional package.

Many of you could say that this is a body that already sounds like you have known for months, and you would be right, since this image was advanced by the electric variant of it, called BMW i4, which we could take as a mechanical alternative more within the interesting range of engines offered by the 4 Series, although it offers other novelties that have not yet been coupled to the current generation of the 4 Series, such as the BMW 8.0 operating system, with larger screens located in a new distribution, as well as a contribution of information through renewed graphics.

But since we talk about the different mechanics of this 4 Series Gran Coupé, this offer the same variants that we already know from the rest of the bodies. In the gasoline section we find three options: 420i Gran Coupé with 184 hp, 430i Gran Coupé with 245 hp and the M440i xDrive Gran Coupé with 374 hp. The latter is offered for the first time in a 4 Series Gran Coupé and is the sportier and more performance alternative offered by the 4 Series Gran Coupé. In the diesel section, only a mechanic called 420d Gran Coupe is offered, which provides a maximum power of 190 hp. All install an 8-speed Steptronic automatic gearbox, which transfers all the power to the rear axle or, in the specific case of the M440i xDrive, also through all four wheels. In the middle of next year 2022 a new version of propulsion for the M440i is expected to arrive, as well as a more powerful mechanic to complete the diesel range, called 430d that will bring 286 hp and a 3-liter block under the hood.

In the cases of the M440i xDrive and 420d, they install a light hybridization system by 48 V battery, which provides a small electrical support to the combustion engine in order to reduce fuel consumption, in addition to providing it with the coveted ECO label of the DGT. This aforementioned support will be noticeable in the performance of the so-called sail effect, with which we can maintain constant speed during a trip on the highway; at the start of the vehicle, or at key moments of punctual acceleration where we will gain 11 HP during a small range of time. As the last important mechanical element, the 4 Series Gran Coupé adopts the 3 types of damping already known: standard, M Sport and Adaptive M.

In the safety and driving aids section, this car incorporates some well-known solutions such as multiple assistants, semi-autonomous driving with which we can even change lanes by simply pressing the turn signal, and which will be available for use up to a speed 200 km / h. It also incorporates the head-up display or the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, to which we can give orders or make requests, such as starting the guidance to a destination or turning on the air conditioning. In addition to this, it can also incorporate the well-known Parking Assistant with Reversing Assistang, with which the car will memorize our route of the last 50 meters and will be able to do it again even if several days have passed since our last route.

LINK: https://www.motor.es/pruebas-coches/prueba-bmw-serie-4-gran-coupe-202182102.html