For those who’ve been following BMW’s new model lineup closely, the latest car is at once puzzling and inevitable: It’s the 4 Series Gran Coupe, a swoopy-roofed four-door hatchback version of the 4 Series Coupe.
Now, this is puzzling because BMW just finished dividing the long-standing 3 Series lineup into four door sedan models (which remain 3 Series cars) and two-door coupe models (which become 4 Series cars). And now we have a 4 Series sedan, which logically you might expect to be called a 3 Series hatchback.
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According to BMW’s official press release, the 4 Series Gran Coupe "combines the sleek look of a two-door coupe with the functionality provided by four doors and expansive spaciousness, including a wide-access luggage compartment."
The new car is slightly longer and wider than the 3 Series sedan, and also slightly lower (though it’s higher than the 4 Series Coupe). Combined with a longer roofline and more sculpted haunches, it has a decidedly more planted and aggressive stance than its 3 Series sedan sibling.
Under the hood, the new 4 Series Gran Coupe carries over unchanged from the rest of the 3/4 Series range. The 428i gets BMW’s well-liked 2.0-litre turbocharged inline-four
Inside the cabin, the 4 Series Gran Coupe is likewise virtually unchanged from the rest of the 3/4 Series lineup, with slightly more headroom and trunk space than the regular 4 Series coupe, but likely somewhat less rear headroom than the 3 Series sedan. A 40/20/40 split folding rear seat allows versatile use of the luggage compartment.
The 4 Series Gran Coupe will be available in Sport, Luxury, and M Sport trims, and will arrive in North American showrooms this summer. Pricing has yet to be announced, but the 428i Gran Coupe and 435i Gran Coupe are expected to command a slightly higher premium than the equivalent 3 Series sedans.
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