Although the BMW 4-series coupe was first shown more than four years ago, the trickling out of multiple variants of the model over time means the car still feels fresh. But time marches on, and 2018 brings an update for the luxury sports coupe.
BMW tweaked the 4-series’s engine lineup and naming convention in 2017, and those continue for 2018. The 4-series is available as the turbocharged four-cylinder 430i or turbo-six 440i in two-door coupe, convertible, and four-door Gran Coupe forms. With the two-door coupes there is a choice of either a manual transmission (not dead yet) or an automatic, while all body styles offer a choice of rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
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The subject of this test was a 440i two-door coupe with the eight-speed automatic and rear-drive, in a pretty Estoril Blue Metallic. It came with the $2000 Premium package (heated front seats, navigation, larger instrument-cluster display) and the $2550 M Sport bundle (18-inch M star-spoke wheels, sport seats, Aluminum Dark Carbon interior trim, M sport suspension, M steering wheel, aero kit, dark exterior trim, and anthracite headliner). With $550 for the paint and $1450 for black leather with blue contrast stitching, our test car totaled $56,245.
Lights and Colors
The 4-series was already good, and the 2018 refresh provides the lightest of improvements. As when you click the automatic-fix wand in iOS’s Photos app, you can notice the differences only when you put the result next to the before image. Both the head- and taillights have been upgraded to full LEDs, with the headlights gaining a dual, open-hexagonal design that recalls the original 4-series concept.
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The front fascia now features standard fog lights and wider air intakes, and the rear bumper also has been tweaked. There are new 18- and 19-inch wheel designs and two new exterior paint colors: Snapper Rocks Blue and Sunset Orange. Overall, the 4-series’s styling is less extroverted than that of competitors such as the Infiniti Q60, the Lexus RC, and the Mercedes-Benz C-class coupe.
The interior sees small updates as well. New gloss-black trim adorns the center console, the dash has contrasting double stitching, and, with navigation, the infotainment system has a new interface with configurable tiles. The facelift also brought a grippier steering wheel, three new leather color options, and the aforementioned carbon-look trim.
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Although the cabin is nicely designed, it’s a fairly staid aesthetic, and the materials in which it’s rendered leave us cold. BMW’s usual texturized-rubber surfaces are used throughout, but they’ve been around so long that they make the cabin feel somewhat dated. The Mercedes-Benz C-class has set the bar for interiors in this class, and the 440i is nowhere near as luxurious or stylish. Storage space remains scarce.
Hold the Line
When the 4-series debuted, we hailed the turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six in the 435i. “The 3.0-liter turbo six is one of the best engines available in any sub-$100,000 car—period,” we said. While that was the previous N55-generation six, the new B58 in the 440i is just as good, if not better. The turbocharged six makes 320 horsepower at 5500 rpm and 330 lb-ft of torque from 1380 to 5000 rpm, up from 300 in both measures previously.
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With the eight-speed automatic transmission, the rear-wheel-drive 440i edged out the 435i xDrive we tested in 2015, scoring a 4.4-second time to 60 mph. By comparison, the twin-turbocharged V-6 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400 did zero to 60 in 4.5 seconds, the 321-hp Cadillac ATS V-6 coupe needed 5.6, and the 306-hp Lexus RC350 F Sport ran it in 5.7. From 70 mph, the BMW stopped in a respectable 166 feet.
With the temptation of that acceleration available with the simple flex of an ankle, one might expect fuel economy to take a hit, yet the 440i nailed its 25-mpg EPA combined figure during our testing (EPA city/highway estimates are 21/32 mpg).
Predictable Suspense
Finding a sweet spot between balanced stiffness and comfortable ride quality is a black art. With the refresh, BMW worked on creating a stiffer suspension and a better steering setup, with impressive results.
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The electrically assisted steering is on the light side, but turn-in is quick and there is some feedback—which is more than we can say about many BMWs of late. The 2018 update included tweaked damping, and the 440i provides a stable ride, with a suspension that capably absorbs bumps while still having a connected feel to the road. Despite a taut ride with little body roll, the numbers say the 4-series trails behind the competition at the skidpad. It registered 0.86 g, whereas the Q60, ATS, and C-class have hit 0.90 g or more. It is worth noting, however, that the 440i was on all-season Pirelli tires and likely would post a better number if it were equipped with the optional $1700 Track Handling package, which includes Michelin Pilot Super Sport performance rubber.
Entering this test, the BMW 4-series was among our favorite luxury coupes, and the incremental changes only improved an already strong package. The suspension is comfortable but still athletic, the engine is marriage material, and the relatively simple styling looks better after each day spent with it. The interior is slightly out of step, and the car might need stickier rubber to make the most of the chassis, but there are options available to address those issues—for a price, of course. Although BMW has fiddled a bit with the recipe, this remains one tasty two-door.
[“Source-ndtv”]
