Damn, The All-New 2021 BMW 4 Series Coupe Has One Seriously Ugly Grille

When the BMW Concept 4 was introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show last September, I remember people (myself included) losing their minds over that gaping kidney grille up front, wondering what would possess them to go with such a polarizing design. Was Chris Bangle back in charge and making bad decisions once again?

Like many, we figured it was purposely done to stand out, since it was a concept after all. But as you can see here, sadly that wasn’t the case. The BMW 4 Series Coupe made its world debut, and while it’s certainly a looker from certain angles, that front grille is just awful. You think after they caught so much flack over the concept, they would have gone back and rethought the grille design. But apparently not.

BMW tries to justify the “striking front end” of the new 4 Series, claiming that it provides adequate cooling for the more powerful engines. That grille is framed by a 3D mesh with LED headlights and corner lights flanking. In back, darkened LED taillights extend into the quarter panels and also toward each other. Frameless windows lighten the look and feel of the doors.

Compared to the previous generation 4 Series Coupe, the new 4 Series is 5.2 inches longer, 1.0 inch wider, 0.4 inches taller and features a 1.6 inch longer wheelbase and 1.4 inch wider front and 1.2 inch wider rear tracks. The aerodynamic efficiency of the new 4 Series Coupe sees a noticeable improvement from a previous Cx of 0.29 to a Cx of 0.25.

All of the new 4 Series models enjoy a boost in horsepower and torque over the models they replace. Powering the new 430i and 430i xDrive coupe is an updated B46 2.0-liter 4-cylinder BMW TwinPower turbocharged engine delivering 255HP (an increase of 7HP) and 294 ft-lbs of torque (an increase of 36 ft-lbs), good for a 0-60 time of 5.5 seconds (5.3 seconds when equipped with xDrive).

Meanwhile, the new M440i xDrive Coupe is powered by a B58 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder BMW TwinPower turbocharged engine that produces 382HP (an increase of 62HP) and 369 ft-lbs of torque (an increase of 39 ft-lbs), rocketing the M440i xDrive Coupe from 0-60 in 4.3 seconds. The M440i xDrive also comes standard with a limited-slip differential.

Both 4 Series models send that power to the ground through a sporty 8-speed automatic with a launch control function. (Want a manual? Too bad, you’ll have to wait for the M4) In addition, both the 4- and 6-cylinder engines use a single, twin-scroll turbo, high precision fuel injection (operating at over 5,000 psi), VALVETRONIC fully variable valve timing and Double-VANOS variable camshaft timing.

A new 48-volt mild-hybrid system is standard on the M440i xDrive Coupe. The 48-volt starter / generator unit is complemented by a separate 48-volt battery which helps to recuperate and store energy from deceleration, braking and from excess electricity generated while driving in Sport mode. This energy can be used to boost performance (+11HP) during hard acceleration.

The 2021 BMW 4-Series is more rigid than ever, while still making use of aluminum for the hood, front fenders, doors, even the shock absorber housing to keep weight down. Additional bracing has been added, connecting the front shock towers to the bulkhead and to the front end as well as the rear axle area to help the new 4 Series deliver better agility and precision.

For those wanting a sportier ride, the M440i with the optional Adaptive M Suspension is the way to go, as it allows you to vary the damping when switching between driving modes. And while you’re at it, make sure you opt for the performance non-run flat tires, as they will give you the best grip at the limits, along with added comfort.

Naturally, BMW has equipped the new 4 Series Coupe with a wide variety of driver assist features that we’ve come to expect on any new car today (eg. blind spot detection, lane departure warning, rear cross traffic alert, etc), along with optional features like adaptive cruise control, parking assist, and even a “drive recorder” that’s very Tesla-esque.

The BMW 4 Series Coupe is set to launch in October, with the 430i to start at $46,595, the 430i xDrive starting at $48,595, and the M440i xDrive starting at $59,495.

Let us know what you think of the BMW 4 Series Coupe in the comments below!

 
BMW 430i, 430i xDrive and M440i xDrive Coupe Specifications

		430i	430i xDrive	M440i xDrive
Seats	—	4	4	4
Number of Doors	—	2	2	2
Drive type	—	RWD	AWD	AWD
Length	inches	187.9	187.9	188.0
Width	inches	72.9	72.9	72.9
Width including mirrors	inches	81.9	81.9	81.9
Height	inches	54.6	54.8	54.8
Wheelbase	inches	112.2	112.2	112.2
Ground clearance	inches	5.0	5.1	5.1
Turning radius	feet	18.7	19.7	19.7
Shoulder width front	inches	55.1	55.1	55.1
Shoulder room 2nd row	inches	51.0	51.0	51.0
Legroom front	inches	41.8	41.8	41.8
Legroom 2nd row	inches	34.5	34.5	34.5
Headroom front	inches	38.0	38.0	38.0
Headroom 2nd row	inches	35.2	35.2	35.2
Trunk volume	ft³	12.0	12.0	12.0
Fuel Tank capacity	gallons	15.6	15.6	15.6
Curb weight	lbs.	3,578	3,708	3,977
Gross vehicle weight	lbs.	4,475	4,619	4,949
Payload	lbs.	714	728	886
Weight distribution front / rear	percent	51.8 / 48.3	52.9 / 47.1	53.8 / 46.2
Engine type	—	B46B20O1	B46B20O1	B58B30O1
Induction		Turbocharged	Turbocharged	Turbocharged
Cylinders	—	4	4	6
Valves per cylinder	—	4	4	4
Bore x Stroke	mm	82.0 x 94.6	82.0 x 94.6	82.0 x 94.6
Displacement	cm³	1,998	1,998	2,998
Compression rate	:1	10.2	10.2	10.2
Engine power	hp	255 @ 5,000 – 6,500	255 @ 5,000 – 6,500	382 @ 5,800 – 6,500
Engine torque	ft.-lbs.	294 @ 1,550 – 4,400	294 @ 1,550 – 4,400	364 @ 1,800 – 5,000
Fuel type	—	Gasoline	Gasoline	Gasoline
Recommended Fuel	—	Premium	Premium	Premium
Engine oil capacity	quarts	5.5	5.5	6.9
Output per liter	hp/liter	127.6	127.6	127.4
Transmission type	—	Sport Steptronic	Sport Steptronic	Sport Steptronic
Gear ratios 1st gear	—	5.25	5.25	5.25
2nd	—	3.36	3.36	3.36
3rd	—	2.17	2.17	2.17
4th	—	1.72	1.72	1.72
5th	—	1.14	1.14	1.14
6th	—	1.00	1.00	1.00
7th	—	0.82	0.82	0.82
8th	—	0.64	0.64	0.64
Reverse gear	—	3.71	3.71	3.71
Final drive ratio	—	2.81	2.81	2.81
Power-steering type	—	EPS	EPS	EPS
Steering ratio	:1	14.1	14.9	13.6
18” Tires, standard front / rear		225/45R18	225/45R18	225/45R18
18” Wheels, standard front / rear	inches	18 x 7.5	18 x 7.5	18 x 7.5
19” Tires, optional front / rear		225/40R19	225/40R19	225/40R19
19” Wheels, optional front / rear	inches	19 x 9.0	19 x 8.0	19 x 8.0
19” Tires, optional rear		255/35R19	255/35R19	255/35R19
19” wheels, optional rear	inches	19 x 8.5	19 x 8.5	19 x 8.5
Track, front	inches	62.3	62.3	62.3
Rear, track	inches	63.9	63.9	63.9
Cx	—	0.25	0.26	0.30
0-60 mph	seconds	5.5	5.3	4.3
Top speed (with perf. tires)	mph	130 (155)	130 (155)	130 (155)
EPA Fuel Economy, city / hwy	mpg	tbd	tbd	tbd