How would you feel if we told you that the new 4 Series is the clearest demonstration yet of what’s to come in BMW’s future lineup? Not in design terms, you may be relieved to hear, but how it's been differentiated from its more famous sibling, the 3 Series - and in how the diverse model portfolio will ultimately look. With an all-electric i4 and upcoming M4 set to bookend the range (or, more accurately, live above it) the 4 Series establishes BMW's game plan - one with is set to echo across the firm's entire range. Naturally this is about broadening choice to incorporate many more electrified options - but, according to BMW's driving dynamics expert, Jos van As, it is also about gaining the freedom to pursue increasingly driver-centric cars.
“It was our intention from the start to make a 4 Series that looks bolder and has a sportier and higher performance than its sibling,” van As told PH. “Before they were much closer, but if you compare the latest 3 and 4 back to back, you will feel a very different performance, especially in the body control and steering feedback they give. Our philosophy for this generation is that if a car looks bold, it should drive in a similar way.”
Those 'bold' looks have been greeted with something like incredulity in the forums, but response to the 4 Series hardware configuration - an area van As directly contributed to - has been more positive. As well it might; there is more power across the lineup, delivered hand-in-hand with greater efficiency thanks to MHEV hardware, and BMW is adamant that driver reward was kept front of mind. So much so that Van As is adamant that the new 4 Series represents a “sweet spot" in the manufacturer's lineup.
“[Compared to the 3], the 4 Series is a totally different calibration,” he says. “The spring rates are about the same, but the damping and bump stops are differently tuned, and because we’ve stiffened up the body with bracing and 1mm thicker anti-roll bars, we can make the car stiffer on one hand but not less comfortable. It’s because the structure of the car is at a lower centre of gravity and firmer, so you don’t need to go for stiffer suspension to get extra performance.”
Endowing the car with greater body control without sacrificing ride quality is quite a prospect when you consider that the G20-based saloon was not short of the first commodity - and not far from class-leading in the second. Even the humble 320d impressed us on a technical B-road last year, with its quick steering and confidence over bumps at speed. More of that, combined with a sharper front-end and more responsive steering, is a compelling thought.
The strategy is not entirely novel given its previous efforts to create breathing space between variants, but BMW is apparently doubling down on the idea. As head of design, Domagoj Dukec, explains, odd-numbered cars will be the mature, “practical” offering, allowing the even-numbered cars to deliver “more emotion”. For Dukec, the theme is presently illustrated best in the X-badged SUV range, where, for example, the X5 is the “family and business car”, and the related X6 is the “more expensive, less functional but more expressive” alternative. Apply that logic to the 4 Series and, well, you get those grilles.
More than that, the format of the new range tells its own story, with M and i badges effectively creating three different tiers. The iX3, X3 and X3M use the same blueprint, but the 3 and 4 Series go one step further because their technical and design differences are more substantial than in the X3 and X4. As a result, Dukec reckons it’s a better illustration of the extent BMW is prepared to go to so that customers can properly differentiate between model lineups. It also neatly accommodates the mainstream, early EV adopters and enthusiasts in a single offering.
That being said, it’s refreshing to hear van As agree when PH suggests that one of the more traditional 4 Series variants, the 430i, appears (on paper at least) to potentially be the sweetest of the lot. With a 258hp turbocharged 2.0-litre motor it has sufficient power to keep interesting, and without one too many axles to power, isn't unnecessarily complicated either. As a result, van As says the 430i is “much more agile on the turn in”, and when combined with the limited slip diff, “you have a true sports car”. One that starts from £44,055 – lending credence to the idea that BMW hasn't abandoned the idea of attainable, driver-centric cars. Even if they’re set to rank in the middle of the range these days.
And what of the M3 and M4? Van As says his M division colleagues “have some big ideas”, and that’s about it. Dukec adds that design wise, the performance model can be more aggressive than its saloon sibling thanks to the freedoms of that aforementioned model structure. But we’re not given much else – not surprising, given that the reveal is due later this year as a separate event in its own right. Who knows, perhaps steroidal enhancements are what the 4 Series needs to grow into its new nostrils; an anticipated 500hp-plus six-cylinder engine that drives an adjustable driveline might help to distract from them, too. If the PH forums are anything to go by, such ingredients will be, at the very least, absolutely necessary.
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