BMW 4 Series, M3 and M4 facelift – ‘extra portion’ makes its presence felt more clearly
BMW 4 Series, M3 and M4 facelift – ‘extra portion’ makes its presence felt more clearly
“The arrival of the first BMW 4 Series marked the beginning of a new era for BMW. The Coupé, Convertible and later the Gran Coupé signposted their ‘extra portion’ of dynamism, elegance and exclusiveness over the BMW 3 Series, with their own designation. The model update distinguishes the 4 Series cars even more clearly from their sister model series and ensures that this ‘extra portion’ makes its presence felt both inside and out.” – Karim Habib, Head of Design, BMW Automobiles.
3 styles, 1 family: the BMW 4 Series coupé, BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé and BMW 4 Series convertible all blend performance with exclusiveness and elegance. At the same time, each of the 3 x 4 Series body models has a totally distinct character of its own.
The BMW 4 Series Coupé: a dynamically contoured athlete
The BMW 4 Series success story dates back to June 2013 and the launch of the original (pre-facelift) BMW 4 Series Coupé. There was big talk and some confusion and/or disagreement about the change in name from 3 Series to 4 Series (initially for the 2-door models) but BMW did this to create abovementioned separation.
Built at BMW Group Plant Munich, the 4 Series Coupé is based on the BMW 3 Series, but adds its own brand of aesthetic appeal and performance to its progenitor’s dynamic qualities. With a notably wider stance and longer wheelbase than its predecessor, the body of the BMW 4 Series Coupé has a low-slung silhouette with sporty, elongated lines.
Sporting the brand’s trademark short overhangs, a long bonnet and a passenger compartment set well back and crowned by a beautifully flowing roof line, the BMW 4 Series Coupé boasts a perfectly composed design language, while still offering high levels of everyday practicality.
The BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé: functionality and elegance
In May 2014, the BMW 4 Series family was completed by the arrival of its third and all-new member. First seen on the bigger BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé, this new name was also applied to a new fastback-style 4 Series Gran Coupé.
The car’s dynamic-looking, elongated styling succeeds in uniting sedan/fastback-like functionality with the sporting elegance of a coupé. It is built at BMW’s Group Plant Dingolfing.
The BMW 4 Series Convertible: the epitome of pure freedom
Six months after the launch of the BMW 4 Series Coupé, the BMW 4 Series Convertible added the pleasure of open-top motoring to the mix.
Roof-up, the body produces a broad-shouldered look and a graceful, sporty outline that is further emphasized by the long boot lid. Opening the roof, meanwhile, creates the impression of a wraparound boat-deck rear, further heightening the sense of elegance.
The 4 Series Convertible is manufactured at BMW’s Group Plant Regensburg.
The BMW 4 Series: a global success story
Since its debut in 2013, BMW has delivered nearly 400 000 units of the 4 Series family to customers all over the world. The biggest single market, racking up approximately a third of all BMW 4 Series sales, is the USA, followed by Great Britain and Germany. About half of all BMW 4 Series models are sold in Europe.
The BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé accounts for around half of global BMW 4 Series sales, while the coupé and convertible make up about a quarter each.
LED light arrangement with a sharper gaze… as per concept car
Styling cues borrowed from the BMW Concept 4 Series Coupé from 2012 are clearly visible in the design of the new BMW 4 Series – when showing the Concept 4 Series Coupé, the lights were a highlight with a new take on the round dual front corona-ring lights, by flattening the bottom of the rings… but when the production 4 Series arrived, it did so without these new-look rings, disappointingly. Now, this is rectified by giving the 4 the concept car’s lights.
4 Series facelift includes hexagonally shaped full-LED standard headlights, and full-LED rear lights. Twin headlights help ensure the front end of the BMW 4 Series models sticks to the traditional BMW template.
The headlights are composed of this silhouette: flat-bottomed headlight tubes encircled by daytime running light rings, and a dynamic cropped look produced by the characteristic BMW “eyebrow” design. The tubes’ dark-coloured holders give the interior of the headlight assemblies a clear, cool look with technical appeal. LED- front foglamps also form part of standard specification.
A fine eye for interior detail
Get inside, and the new BMW 4 Series shows an array of upgraded details which add to the cabin’s exclusive, high-quality feel. The surrounds for the air outlets and the control panels in the doors now include electroplated inserts. The switch for the hardtop roof in the BMW 4 Series Convertible, and the integral belt guides for its front seats also have an electroplated finish.
The air-conditioning and audio controls in the BMW 4 Series models are now bordered by chrome applications, while the centre console makes an even more elegant impression, thanks to its high-gloss black cover panel, and double stitching on the instrument panel which accentuates the interior’s driver-focused geometry. The sports steering wheel fitted as standard in the BMW 4 Series features a new rim wrapped in high-quality leather – its modified lining offers the driver an even better grip.
There are now more colour theme options to choose from for the interior styling. BMW has added Midnight Blue (navy blue leather – long a BMW favourite - has made a comeback, as also seen on new 5 Series), Cognac and Ivory White to the range, which means a total of 3 new elegant Dakota leather upholstery colours, complete with coordinated contrast stitching and piping, can now be ordered.
New choices for the interior trim strips include Carbon Aluminium, Light Fineline and High-gloss Black with Pearl Chrome accent strip.
New light-alloy wheels
BMW is offering a wider choice of 18 and 19-inch light-alloy wheels exclusive to the new 4 Series: with 4 new designs in all, there is even greater scope for customizing the sporty, elegant exterior of the BMW 4 Series. There is one new wheel design each for the base, Luxury Line, Sport Line and M Sport variants, and these new light-alloy wheels are reserved for the BMW 4 Series models only.
Exterior paint finishes in turquoise and orange
Exclusive new exterior paint finishes have also been added to the selection.
Snapper Rocks Blue (yes, really) is a new shade of turquoise that “projects an aura of youthful vigour and intense sportiness”. It replaces the dark turquoise Night Blue. It is a different turquoise to Long Beach Blue as seen on BMW X5 M, X6 M and M2. These cars helped colour-choosers at BMW HQ realise that turquoise is not a restrained but a vibrant colour, so can now, for the 1st time, be ordered with the M Sport package, on the 4 Series facelift (Night Blue turquoise could not be ordered with M Sport).
Also new is Sunset Orange – a bold, burnt orange paint colour. The dramatic interplay between hues of orange and red instils the BMW 4 Series with an extremely sophisticated and sporty air. It differs from Valencia Orange as seen on 1 Series and M6, for example. Sunset Orange can be seen on the 4 Series Convertible in accompanying images, looking particularly fresh, combined with Luxury Line with its extra chrome beadings and the new white leather interior.
These 2 new colours are only available for the new BMW 4 Series models.
New menu layout for the central information display
The optional Navigation system Professional for the BMW 4 Series includes a new user interface with 6 large tile-style icons distributed over 2 screen pages. Users can arrange the tiles as they please, allowing them to move the menus they use most to the main screen. These control pads provide direct access to the relevant functions as well as a live display of the linked content.
Inductive smartphone charging and WiFi hotspot
Compatible smartphones can be recharged in the BMW 4 Series without the need for cables by means of an optional inductive tray. The tray is located in the centre armrest. Additionally, it establishes a wireless connection between the smartphone and the car’s external aerial for improved telephone reception, particularly in areas with a weak signal. Great!
The ConnectedDrive navigation package also includes a WiFi hotspot which provides high-speed in-car internet access for up to 10 mobile devices, plus 2 USB ports in the centre console. Thanks to their current ratings of 2 Amps each, both USB ports are also suitable for charging portable tablets.
BMW M4 – the 4 at its fastest
The sportiest members of the BMW 4 Series family also boast a new look. The BMW M4 Coupé and BMW M4 Convertible now come as standard with the adaptive full-LED headlights, complete with hexagonal graphic. The new LED rear lights again freshen up appearances and inject technical appeal.
Both BMW M4 models feature new-look, illuminated M emblems on the front
seats, while chrome applications, electroplated detailing and double stitching
on the instrument panel also feature.
M3 facelift #2
The sedan-only BMW M3 (after M3 2-door models became M4) arrived in 2014 as the F80M. In 2015 it received the new LED line-shaped taillamps as introduced on 3 Series facelift. Now, for 2017, the M3 gets the new headlight-look – the same horizontal white line, half-circle up, stretching out inwards to the grille.
Effectively it is then the M3 facelift number 2. This is new for BMW M, as previous M3 received the new LED taillamps, but kept the same front look, e.g. preceding M3 E46 and M3 E90/E92/E93 cars.
No more manual M3/M4 for SA
Along with the M3 facelift and M4 facelift, BMW SA decided to stop giving buyers the choice of a manual, due to low demand. The M-DCT dual-clutch M gearbox is so good that almost all local buyers paid the +-R56k extra to have an automatic.
Prices of 4 Series, M3 and M4
The engine line-up stays unchanged, as the 4 Series already received the upgrade to the new engines and names from 428i to 430i and 435i to 440i.
As the 4 Series is available in 3 body styles, 3 different gearboxes (manual and automatic or sports-automatic, except 440i which is sports-automatic only) and base, Luxury Line, Sport Line and M Sport pack, the model permutations reach 108, so only the base models’ prices will be listed below:
| BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé | |
| BMW 420i Gran Coupé | R 595 896 |
| BMW 420i Gran Coupé auto | R 615 898 |
| BMW 420d Gran Coupé | R 629 800 |
| BMW 420d Gran Coupé auto | R 650 600 |
| BMW 430i Gran Coupé | R 682 722 |
| BMW 430i Gran Coupé auto | R 701 926 |
| BMW 440i Gran Coupé sports-auto | R 852 176 |
| BMW 4 Series Coupé | |
| BMW 420i coupé | R 595 896 |
| BMW 420i coupé auto | R 615 898 |
| BMW 420d coupé | R 629 800 |
| BMW 420d coupé auto | R 650 600 |
| BMW 430i coupé | R 682 722 |
| BMW 430i coupé auto | R 701 926 |
| BMW 440i coupé sports-auto | R 852 176 |
| BMW 4 Series Convertible | |
| BMW 420i convertible | R 707 750 |
| BMW 420i convertible auto | R 727 524 |
| BMW 430i convertible | R 819 276 |
| BMW 430i convertible auto | R 838 252 |
| BMW 440i convertible sports-auto | R 974 946 |
| BMW M3 | |
| BMW M3 M-DCT auto | R 1 199 636 |
| BMW M3 Competition M-DCT auto | R 1 335 536 |
| BMW M4 | |
| BMW M4 coupé M-DCT auto | R 1 257 436 |
| BMW M4 coupé Competition M-DCT auto | R 1 393 336 |
| BMW M4 convertible M-DCT auto | R 1 419 062 |
| BMW M4 convertible Competition M-DCT auto | R 1 554 962 |