BMW’s Gran Turismo models may be gone but the Gran Coupe lives on.
The company has revealed its second-generation 2022 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, which will arrive locally in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Sharing its body with the upcoming, all-electric i4, the 4 Series Gran Coupe boasts coupe-like styling, a large tailgate, and five seats.
430i
At 4783mm in length, 1852mm in width and 1442mm in height, it measures 143mm longer, 27mm wider and 53mm than its predecessor.
Track width is up 50mm at the front and 29mm at the rear, while the 2856mm wheelbase is 46mm longer than the old car and 5mm longer than that of the 3 Series Sedan.
Open the tailgate and you’ll find 470L of luggage space, up 39L on the old car.
Drop the 40:20:40 split-fold rear seat fully and that increases to 1290L.
The powertrain line-up mirrors that of the related coupe and convertible, with petrol-powered 420i, 430i and M440i xDrive models plus a diesel 420d that we won’t get here.
The entry-level 420i uses a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with 135kW of power and 300Nm of torque, while the 430i’s turbo 2.0-litre ups those numbers to 190kW and 400Nm.
The range-topping M440i xDrive packs a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six petrol engine with 285kW of power and 500Nm of torque. It also uses a 48V mild-hybrid system.
All models use an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission.
M440i xDrive 
430i
BMW claims 0-100km/h times of 7.9 seconds for the 420i, 6.2 seconds for the 430i and 4.7 seconds for the M440i.
But for the much more comfortable rear seat accommodation, the 4 Series Gran Coupe interior is essentially identical to that of the coupe and convertible variants.
Australian models will come as standard with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, running BMW Operating System 7 and featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster will also be standard fit here.
Models with the M Sport package – likely all Australian-delivered examples – add knee pads on the centre console.
Headlights are LED, with the option of adaptive LED headlights with BMW Laserlight.
Local pricing and specifications have yet to be revealed, but options available overseas include heated and ventilated front seats, Vernasca or BMW Individual leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, and a Harman Kardon sound system.
There’s also an available M Carbon package that features the material on the side air intakes, exterior mirror caps, rear diffuser and rear spoiler.
As befitting its flagship status, the M440i has standard adaptive M suspension and M Sport brakes.
Safety equipment available in the Gran Coupe includes adaptive cruise control with automatic speed limit assist, plus lane-keeping assist, lane-departure warning and a surround-view camera.
The 4 Series Gran Coupe may have a bluff front but, thanks to an almost completely sealed underbody and an active air flap control system, it has a superior drag coefficient to its predecessor.
BMW claims a Cd of 0.26 – for the 420d, at least – which bests its predecessor by 0.02.
The 4 Series Gran Coupe will go up against the conceptually similar Audi A5 Sportback, which was updated in 2020.
The A5 range also offers a choice of coupe, convertible and liftback body styles, though only the 4 Series family has an all-electric variant.
The i4 liftback will arrive in Australia in early 2022.
