BMW introduced a new 4 Series coupe and convertible last year but waited until now to bring out the redesigned 4-door, liftback version. That model, the 2022 Gran Coupe, bows this week. Unsurprisingly, it mirrors most of the changes made to the coupe and convertible for the 2021 model year. And you may be surprised to hear that four doors cost less than two.
The 2022 4 Series Gran Coupe is offered in a rear-drive 430i model, costing $44,800 — $800 less than the equivalent model with two doors. There’s also an all-wheel-drive M440i xDrive model costing $58,000. Both come with a $995 destination fee. Sales begin in August.
A Long, Low, Intimidating Look
The Gran Coupe is long, low, and sleek. The car has always had a sense of presence thanks to its long, rear-heavy proportions. That effect is amplified by the big, toothy twin-kidney grille BMW has introduced for its newest round of cars. Thin LED headlights incorporate fiber-optic daytime running lights and give them a bit of a grimace.
The car’s underbody is almost completely sealed, and active air flaps serve to keep the airflow around the car smooth. With its typical obsessive restraint, BMW notes that “the drag coefficient (Cd) for the 430i Gran Coupe is 0.28, a reduction of 0.01 over the previous model.”
A Sporty Cabin
Inside, sport seats are so heavily bolstered they seem almost overinflated. While most automakers have been moving toward lower dashes, BMW has zagged, with “a high center console and flowing surfaces running from the instrument panel into the door panels” for “a cocooning feel.”
The center console’s available Sport Package includes knee pads to support the driver and front passenger during aggressive cornering.
Two Engine Options and a “Sprint Function”
In 430i trim, the Gran Coupe is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that makes 255 horsepower. The M440i xDrive uses a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 producing 382 horsepower. It also incorporates a mild hybrid system that doesn’t power the wheels but shuts the engine down below 9 mph and restarts it when the driver touches the gas pedal. Both use an 8-speed automatic transmission with shift paddles.
On xDrive models, the transmission has what BMW calls “a Sprint function.” When the driver pulls on the left shift paddle for one second, the car drops into the lowest possible gear and switches “all the powertrain and chassis systems to their sportiest setting.”
Mechanical upgrades make up much of the cost difference between the two cars. The M440i xDrive gets a suspension, differential, and brakes from BMW’s high-performance M division, all of which can be added to the 430i with a Dynamic Handling Package.
The 430i Gran Coupe boasts a 0-to-60 time of 5.8 seconds (0.3 seconds slower than the 2-door edition of the same car), while the M440i xDrive Gran Coupe gets there in 4.4 seconds (0.1 second slower).
Active Safety Systems All Standard
Standard safety equipment includes front collision warning with automatic braking. That system can now recognize pedestrians and bicyclists. Lane-departure warning with corrective steering, rear cross-traffic alert, and active blind-spot detection are also standard.
