What_Car_UK_-_August_2020

12 August 2020 whatcar.com

BEAUTYIS ENTIRELYsubjective,andthere’s no

rulebook for creating a masterpiece. That’s

why, despite the fact that it’s one of the most

famous works of art in the world, some still

look at Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and see a slightly

dowdy and entirely ordinary painting. And

while some will gaze upon the new BMW

4 Series Coupé, focus on its gigantic front

grille and wonder what the designers were

thinking when they created it, others will be

clamouring to put one on their driveway.

The new 4 Series is bigger all round than its

predecessor and its front and rear axles are

farther apart to improve passenger space.

However, its boot has shrunk slightly compared

with that of the outgoing model. You’ll be able

to pack more for your holidays than you can

in the rival Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé, but

the Audi A5 Coupé can take more luggage

still. And like the current car, this 4 Series is a

strict four-seater, although its rear bench can

split and fold if you need to extend the boot.

At launch, buyers can choose from three

petrol engines and one diesel. The petrol

range kicks off with a 181bhp 2.0-litre turbo

in the 420i model and continues through a

254bhp 2.0-litre turbo (330i) to a 3.0-litre six-

cylinder turbo with 369bhp in the M440i. This

range-topping model has a 0-62mph sprint

time that’s quick enough to beat a Porsche

911 sports car. Meanwhile, the 420d’s 187bhp

2.0-litre diesel promises fuel economy of up to

72.4mpg and a CO 2 output of 103g/km.

An eight-speed automatic gearbox is

standard across the range, with rear-wheel

drive the default setup. Four-wheel drive is

optional on the 420d and standard on the

440i, and it’s likely to be available on other

variants in the future.

More powerful 282bhp 330d and 335bhp

M440d diesels will arrive next March, with a

plug-in hybrid 430e due later on. This produces

a combined 248bhp from a 2.0-litre petrol

engine and an electric motor and promises

at least 30 miles of electric-only range.

A high-performance M4 super-coupé

will arrive later next year with a specially

tuned 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine that

produces 503bhp.

Diesel-engined versions of the 4 Series,

plus the M440i petrol, now come with mild

hybrid technology as standard, using a 48-

volt electrical system and a small battery.

This setup can harvest energy that would

be lost when braking, redeploying it to boost

acceleration or ease the engine load at other

times to help reduce fuel consumption.

BMW 4 Series Coupé

New executive coupé gets bold looks and mild hybrid technology for some

models,witha plug-inhybrid to come On sale October Price from £39,

Darren Moss

[email protected]

FIRST LOOK