The BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe is a really good looking car. Phew, it feels good to get that off my chest!
Sure, the grille is still a bit much from some angles, but BMW has the proportions of bigger Gran Coupe models sorted. With a pinched waistline, sloping tailgate, and long bonnet, it has heaps more presence than the conceptually similar 3 Series sedan.
Sure, the 3er and 4er share engines, but it’s easy to understand why you’d pay the extra money for the more style-oriented family hauler. That isn’t always a given with Gran Coupe models.
At the top of the range, the 8 Series Gran Coupe is a dramatic-looking bruiser with space for the whole family. It’s an interesting alternative to the 5 Series, and shows the formula can work.
When it doesn’t work, you end up with the 2 Series Gran Coupe. It’s an awkward, underwhelming front-drive rival to the Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan. It’s not the strongest example of the breed.
Where does the 4 Series Gran Coupe fall?
Although its base price is $83,900 before on-road costs, our tester had a sticker of $93,550 before on-roads due to the addition of the Vision Package ($5800) and its Tanzanite Blue Metallic paint ($3850).
The closest rival to the 4 Series Gran Coupe is the Audi A5 automotive Sportback. The 45 TFSI quattro S line is the closest match for the 430i, and has a list price of $81,100 before on-road costs.
Internally, the 430i shares its engine with the 330i. You pay more in the name of fashion; the 4 Series Gran Coupe is $4000 more expensive than the equivalent sedan.
2022 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe pricing:
- 2022 BMW 420i Gran Coupe: $75,900
- 2022 BMW 430i Gran Coupe: $83,900
- 2022 BMW M440i xDrive Gran Coupe: $115,900
All prices exclude on-road costs
430i Gran Coupe highlights:
- Adaptive M suspension
- Keyless entry
- M Sport brakes
- Driving Assistant Professional
- Parking Assistant Plus
- Leather seat trim
That comes atop the following, which comes standard on the 420i:
- M Sport package
- M Sport suspension
- 19-inch alloy wheels
- Sport seats (front)
- Alcantara and faux leather seat trim
- Head-up display
- Parking sensors
- Reversing camera, reversing assistant
- LED headlights with high-beam assist
- Powered tailgate
- Powered front seats
- Ambient lighting
- 12.3-inch digital driver’s display
- 10.25-inch infotainment system
- Satellite navigation
- Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
- 10-speaker sound system
- Wireless phone charging
A range of options are available, starting with the Visibility Package ($5800). It brings:
- Power sunroof
- Laser headlights
- High-beam assist
The Comfort Package ($1500) brings:
- Heated steering wheel
- Keyless entry
- Lumbar support
- Heated front and rear seats
The Executive Package ($3600) brings:
- Remote engine start
- Tyre pressure monitoring
- Alarm system
- Sun protection glazing
- harman/kardon sound system
- BMW Drive Recorder
- BMW Gesture Control
The 4 Series hasn’t been crash tested by Euro NCAP or ANCAP, but the related 3 Series scored five stars when it was tested in 2019.
It scored 97 per cent for adult occupant protection, 87 per cent for child occupant protection, 87 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 77 per cent for safety assist.
Standard safety equipment across the 4 Series range includes:
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Forward collision warning
- Lane departure warning
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Rear collision prevention
Vehicles with the Driving Assistant Professional or Plus package gain:
- Adaptive cruise with stop/go
- Lane-keep assist
- Evasion aid
- Front cross-traffic alert
If you’ve sat in a modern BMW, the front of the 4 Series Gran Coupe will be familiar to you.
The dashboard is dominated by a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment screen and 12.3-inch digital instrument display, and the general style of the cabin is angular and modern. Yes, the gloss black trim on the transmission tunnel is annoying, but it’s a good looking and solidly assembled place to spend time.
BMW always gets the fundamentals right. It feels as though you don’t sit quite as low in the Gran Coupe as you do in the 3 Series sedan (although that might be down to the sunroof and pinched glasshouse), but the front seats are still some of the best in the business.
They balance bolstering with all-day comfort, and are heated for good measure. Tall or short drivers will be able to get comfortable behind the wheel, and over-the-shoulder vision is surprisingly good given the car’s profile. The blind-spot monitor is handy at awkward junctions, too.