2022 BMW 4 Gran Coupe Review

Acquaintance

In the premiere photos, she looked more controversial

The current “four” is one of the most daring decisions made by the Bavarians in terms of design. The huge “nostrils” of this model, an invariable attribute of all BMWs, even shocked. There was a lot of talk about them when the BMW Concept 4 model was first shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2019. By the way, these nostrils are an homage to the pre-war model 328.

BMW 328 ’36

And this is the case when live, as for me, the car looks more interesting than in the photo. Look at him on the street when you meet him. Here I can offer you only my pictures.

Pleasant wideness of forms, combined with complex geometry, surprisingly makes the silhouette of this coupe impetuous even in static mode. This is a nice and interesting achievement in terms of design. I also note that the “four” is white, although it makes many cars unnecessarily large. I repeat, appearance is a matter of taste, but here for me is the case when I changed my impressions of the car, getting to know him better.

Before you get into the salon, you need to take into account an important thing: all compartments have very large doors and you need to be careful not to hit other cars in the parking lot and other objects on the street. Landing here is certainly low, but I would not call it uncomfortable. Armchair with a full range of adjustments, including adjustable lateral support. Same for the front passenger. I’ll also note right away that there is a heated steering wheel and seats, so it will be comfortable in cold weather. And the second row has its own climate control.

The first thought when inspecting the interior — minimalism. The number of physical buttons is kept to a minimum. But the key here is the iDrive multimedia control interface, which has long proven itself, in the form of a puck in the center. You can get used to quickly and blindly control the system. Not in vain, when only this puck appeared, everyone praised it.

There is an interesting point here for a technologist and an amateur to consider everything in detail. Almost all physical buttons are not split, that is, they are a common block and this block is also pressed in its entirety. Yes, it looks a little strange, but it does not affect the use in any way.

But the screen of the multimedia itself is small here. And looking ahead, I will say that there are not as many settings as you would expect. BMW also has an older version of multimedia, but I’ll tell you about it next time, as I can get to know it better. It is also worth noting that everything works very quickly and is nicely visualized.

Under the screen is a push-button climate control unit. Thanks for not touching

Of the interesting: an assessment of the economy of driving in Eco Pro mode and visualization of power with overloads. Why the Eco Pro mode in a particular model is even more interesting than Sport, I will tell further in the text. And also a block of buttons with numbers. He reminded me of the days of seat-changers in cars (yes, I’m a dinosaur). But in fact, different functions can be hung on these keys. For example, quick switching between smartphones paired via Bluetooth.

The main tidy here is combined, with analog devices and a screen in the middle. I note that there is an interesting stylistic decision here, the arrows are analog, but hidden behind the glass, and the numbers are visible only when you start the car. And in the dark, the backlight changes to calm orange semi-antique indicators.

In the evening, the instruments change style to look like old BMW cars

What are your impressions of the interior? Somewhat minimalistic, but at the same time comfortable and there are plenty of physical keys. Moreover, you can praise the visibility as a whole, not counting the rear-view mirror. It’s also great that looking around you don’t see the door pillars, as they are shifted far back. The cabin is quiet and you can not hear the sound of the engine. It is generally imperceptible that this is a diesel, and this is definitely praise.

In the last photo you can see the system supplying the seat belt

It would be possible to go here already, but there is one more gadget in the kit – a key fob. And he has a screen. I can’t say for sure if he’s cool or not. It was convenient for me to make sure that the car was closed, and also to choose by what time to warm up the interior and engine (you can just turn on the warm-up immediately). It’s nice that the system works regardless of the distance. Of the complaints: there is no wireless charging of the key fob itself (although the car itself has it), you have to charge it with a wire.

Video

Electronics and Security

Of the main “bells and whistles” of the BMW F36, we can distinguish:

• Parking assistant;
• Driving assistant, DCC;
• Head-up display BMW with built-in video systems;
• Touch controller “iDrive Touch”;
• Information about the traffic situation received online;
• Remote control of the car;
• Active cruise control with available Stop&Go function;
• System for automatic high beam control;

Due to the inattention of the driver or poorly lit areas, it can sometimes be difficult to see the signs that set the current speed limits. The driver information system is designed just for this. The brake energy recovery system is responsible for returning part of the expended “force” back to the car.

The technical characteristics of the BMW 4 Series F36 can be called impressive. Of the additional features not mentioned earlier, the adaptive suspension deserves attention. Scientifically, it is called a set of mechanisms, as well as a node that provides the ultimate comfort and safety not only for the driver, but also for passengers. This aspect is important, because the stability of the machine as a whole depends on it …

Dynamics and efficiency

The powerful twin-turbocharged powertrain is paired with an eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission, providing the BMW 420d Coupe with excellent dynamics. Comfortable movement even on insufficiently flat surfaces is achieved thanks to the adaptive suspension.

Engine power is adjusted automatically. The innovative fuel injection system, combined with the BMW EfficientDynamics technology package for intelligent energy management, ensures maximum efficiency with minimum fuel consumption. Lightweight construction with a high proportion of carbon and aluminum, excellent aerodynamics and the active use of electric drives can reduce the amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere by almost a third.

restyling

In 2017, the restyling of the BMW 4 series was presented to the world ( F32, F33, F36 ), the release of which is actively supported in 2018. There are some changes affecting the exterior of the car. However, due to the fact that they are very small, it is very difficult to notice them. You need to take a closer look to find the differences. For example, this is a beautiful fringing at the front, which extends the entire width of the car and integrates the air intake sections. The insert on the rear bumper boasts the same design. Owners of the 4 Series Gran Coupe now have a wealth of personalization options. To a greater extent, this applies to decorative elements on the front and rear fairings. Available in black and chrome finishes. The color palette has been supplemented with two new shades – blue and orange.

As for the interior, the main emphasis in the creation of restyling was placed on the diversity of the range of materials used and giving the entire cabin a truly exclusive look. There are now more upholstery variations due to three new types of leather. The well-chosen colors of the so-called contrast stitching catch your eye. There are more details on the front panel with high-gloss black as well as chrome finishes. The “rim” of the steering wheel is now more comfortable due to the improved shape and improved upholstery.

The electronics of the BMW 4 Gran Coupe are still at the highest level of quality. Before the eyes of the owner is a dashboard with useful and multifaceted functionality. All data can be displayed in four modes: Comfort, Eco Pro, Sport, and Sport +. The “Professional” navigation system, beloved by many owners, which displays all the information on a large display, now has an updated user interface with icons in the form of “tiles”. You can enjoy a voice control system, a modern charger for your smartphone, and a WiFi hotspot that can connect up to ten devices at the same time. The basic package includes ConnectedDrive services, which will provide you with remote access to various services.

The collection of power units with the advent of restyling remained the same without any changes. The model is equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission called “Steptronic”. You can find only two variations of drives: full and rear. The creators have done serious work on the settings of the chassis of the car. The suspension has become much more rigid, which can be attributed to the pluses, because the overall stability of the car has increased, and the likelihood of body roll has decreased during cornering. As for the overall level of comfort, the developers themselves said that no special changes were made. And this is logical, given the outstanding performance in this regard in the “old” version of the model. To consider all existing updates in more detail, it is worth watching a test drive video, which will show everything in a clear way.

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