There’s now a designated split in BMW’s compact-executive line up, but it’s not a great divide
In the automotive industry, niches within model lines simply beg to be filled. There are two simple premises at play: if you don’t create that niche, a rival will stake its claim there and net a wider audience; and it can breathe new life into an existing model line. That divide can simply be a spin-off similarly monikered to the model on which it’s based, or you can do what BMW claims to have done by nixing the 3 Series Coupe name in favor of a higher numeral and claim the birth of a new model line altogether. BMW has gone the latter route with its 4 Series in a daring bid to broaden its portfolio. But does the jump from 3 to 4 span a wide enough divide?
A Second Glance
In many road tests, the topic of styling is a purely subjective affair that constitutes a facet of our overall assessment. But, the fact remains that buyers often go the coupé route to ensconce themselves in a sportier, more distinctive alternative to the equivalent four-door. So, deeper consideration of the design plays an important part here.
Having perennially been considered the aesthetically most adventurous of the premium German trio, BMW has of late adopted a far more measured approach to its design ethos. Consequently, we never expected the 4 Series to represent a radical departure from its sedan sibling, as was the case with the E92.
But, park the 4 nose-to-nose with the 3 and, total doors aside, elements that are otherwise difficult to discern are unearthed.
With the 4, it’s as though the sedan’s skin has been smoothed and pulled taut over a marginally more muscular frame. There’s greater depth and definition to such touches as the swage crease bridging more prominent wheel arches flowing into the apex of brake-lamps that have been given a narrower, more horizontal bearing than those of the four-door.
Throughout, there is a distinct impression of flow from nose to tail that gives the 4 a flatter, more elongated silhouette that’s further impressed by a more rounded, compact rump with just the merest hint of the signature Hofmeister kink and the crescent-shaped cutting into that slender D-pillar going against the aesthetic flux.
Front-on, the bonnet creases have also become more defined, while the slight upsweep of the headlamps, widening of those kidney-grille nostrils and broader tracks fore and aft give the 4 a slightly more aggressive-looking visage than its four-door sibling.
Although both exhibit a cab-back profile, the 4′s more pronounced sweep into the tail and narrower glazing constitute a significant 62 mm height difference, further accentuated by our M Sport-specced test unit’s 10 mm drop in ride height, deeper skirts and an even sportier take on the sedan’s front apron with larger intake nacelles.
From whichever angle, there’s no denying that the 4 is a decidedly good-looking car, if not a visual quantum leap over its sedan sibling.
It’s a similar story inside. There’s the feeling that the ground gained by the sensual bodywork has been lost in the cabin. You’d be hard-pressed to find many significant differences between the interior designs of the 3 and 4.
The M Sport package ushers in some neat touches that uplift the proceedings a little, namely a beautifully sculpted sports steering wheel and a smattering of Estoril Blue garnish that edges some of the panel surfaces, but there’s little else to lend a real sense of occasion.
It’s nevertheless a great place to be. The driving position is low-slung, while the narrower glazing and sports seats with good lateral bolstering lend the cabin a satisfyingly snug feel. There’s no faulting the build quality, either. Everything feels solid, road and powertrain noise is well suppressed and all of the controls fall easily to hand.
Sitting on the same platform, the 4′s wheelbase mirrors that of the 3 and there’s a reasonable 752 mm of legroom in the rear. But, while the accommodation for those clambering aft isn’t inhumanly cramped, that steeply raked roofline will see taller folk’s crowns brushing the roof’s lining.
