Aventurine Four
It goes without saying that BMW's new design language has split opinions on whether its good or bad. New grille design aside, the top end of the new 4 series offering, the M440i, brings the German automakers A-game.
Related: Everything that you need to know about the BMW 4 Series
We took delivery of an M440i xDrive Gran Coupe for a week of testing and found this particular machine to have been kitted with a number of extras from Bavaria, making this not only a brilliant drive but a good-looking one to boot.
Styling
Our test unit was draped in an extremely eye-catching Aventurine Red paintwork which set off the carbon fiber trim pieces. The combination of red, carbon, and matt black trim gives the 440i an air of sportiness similar to that of the M4. We have to talk about the giant grille that has divided so many, with its rose gold surround it does look rather fetching and is largely overshadowed by the paintwork and carbon trim. The large 19" wheels and coupe styling make the car appear lower and sleeker and in this colour, more aggressive than in a plain Glacier white.
Interior & Space
Despite being a 4-door coupe, interior space is quite generous. Driver and passenger receive ample head, shoulder, and legroom while rear passengers do get significant space albeit at a bit of a squeeze. The interior is dominated by the black leather seats with blue stitching and matched paneling accompanied by piano black trim and small touches of class in faux brushed aluminum trim bezels. The boot is very generous swallowing a massive 1290l of cargo
Comfort & Convenience
The interior is classy enough, but it is the addition of the technology that really elevates things. Taking pride of place is the touchscreen infotainment system that features BMW's Intelligent Personal Assistant, The system itself is very responsive and has little to no lag. Wireless charging, USB points, and 3 zone climate control are standard fitments while a Harmon Kardon sound system takes care of the audio.
Downloading the My BMW app opens up a whole new world of vehicle control such as a digital key and ownership management tool such as service planning, remote controls, and trip planning - handy indeed!
Performance
The M440i is fitted with a 3.0l 6 cylinder twin power turbo petrol engine that punts out a healthy 285kW and 500Nm. This is mated to an 8 Speed auto Sport StepTronic transmission that has silky smooth gear changes. The combination is electronically limited to a top speed of 250km/h and will get from 0-100km/h in a smidge under 5 seconds. This is thanks to the xDrive system that power shall four wheels and will split power depending on drive mode and driving condition. Many bemoan the loss of rear-wheel only propulsion, but we think that xDrve makes the car infinitely better to drive.
Fuel Economy
Having boot loads of power underfoot means that your fuel economy will take a hit. BMW claims the M440i should return 8.2l /100km but as we found on our combined cycle driving figure closer to the high 10's should be expected.
Safety
As far as BMWs go the M440i is feature-packed in terms of safety. ABS, EBD, TSC Hill hold, BSM, Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive Cruise control, and no fewer than 6 airbags.
Price
The BMW xDrive M440i Gran Coupe begins at a base price of R 1 312 696 and goes up from there as you add options
Our vehicle as tested came back at just shy of R1 400 000 on the BMW vehicle configurator
All BMWs are sold with a 2 Year / Unlimited km warranty and a 5 year / 100 000km maintenance plan
Competitors
This is a rather niche segment, so the BMW has few competitors, The Mercedes C43 and Audi S5 Coupe are the only vehicles locally that can compete
Verdict
We found the M440i a very pleasurable drive and dare we say it, it's all the car you will need so maybe save yourself a few rands and buy this instead of the M4 (GASP!) With its aggressive styling, carbon trims, and excellent driving dynamics, the M440i is as close to the perfect coupe as you are going to get.
