Has it grown on you yet?
The next member of the BMW 4 Series family to wear the polarising new grille is the convertible, of which patent drawings have been leaked.
Autoblog Greece shared these images, obtained from the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), showing what appears to be a 420i or 430i.
Though wheel designs aren’t included on these patent drawings, we can tell this 4 Series lacks the M Sport package as it features slimmer front bumper cutouts and rounded exhaust outlets.
We expect the 4 Series convertible to launch here only with the M Sport package, which is standard across the entire 2021 coupe range.
The new 4 Series convertible continues the industry’s shift away from folding metal hardtop roofs. Unlike the outgoing model and its E93 3 Series predecessor, the new droptop 4 uses a fabric roof. This allows BMW to cut some weight and therefore potentially improve efficiency.
It also allowed BMW designers to pen a slightly sleeker roof line than the outgoing model.
Though weight could decrease, dimensions will grow. The coupe measures 128mm longer, 27mm wider and 6mm taller than its predecessor and has a 41mm longer wheelbase.
The local range will likely mirror that of the coupe as it does now. The 2021 coupe range is available as a 420i and 430i, both using a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine albeit with 135kW of power and 300Nm of torque in the former and 190kW of power and 400Nm of torque in the latter.
Until the M4 arrives, the 4 Series range is topped with the M440i xDrive, which uses a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline six producing 285kW of power and 500Nm of torque.
It’s the only all-wheel drive 4 Series variant, though the upcoming M4 will offer a choice of rear- or all-wheel drive for the first time.
The 420i coupe costs $70,900 before on-road costs, with the M440i xDrive priced at $116,900 before on-roads.
In the outgoing generation, convertibles carried a substantial premium of between $18-20,000 over the equivalent coupe variant.
