2022 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe First Drive Review: Function and Form

The nose is fine.

I admit it, the 4 Series schnoz doesn’t bother now me as much as it did a year ago. Out in the glorious desert, mere minutes from Joshua Tree National Park, the 2022 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe looks pretty smart. Did some of us make a big deal out of nothing? Auto journos being overdramatic? *gasp*

BMW has brought back the Gran Coupe for the second generation of its 4 Series. As before, it marries the coupe’s front-end styling to a four-door middle section, with a more graceful roofline that once again ends in a hatchback. Since America doesn’t like to count that as an extra door, this is the four-door version (4GC) of the two-door version (4) of the four-door car (3). Makes sense, right? Good. For a bit of extra cash over a 3 Series, buyers have the option of a compact four-door BMW with more style, without sacrificing any usefulness. In fact, without a wagon on this side of the Atlantic, the Gran Coupe is the most practical 3 or 4 Series you can buy.

With the introduction of the Gran Coupe, the 4 Series family is now complete, with it joining the regular coupe and the cloth-top convertible. Naturally, the GC uses the same platform, and a truncated model lineup to denote its niche status. The entry-level model is the 430i, with BMW’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder underhood. Outputs are 255 horsepower, with a stout 295 pound-feet of torque. Graduating to the silky-smooth inline-six requires all-wheel drive. The M440i xDrive model boasts headline figures of 382 hp and 369 lb-ft. What’s more, it now uses a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, which provides an extra 11 hp during hard acceleration.

BMW hasn’t just Frankensteined the 3 and 4 styling together for the Gran Coupe. The door shapes are pure 3, but the roofline starts its descent earlier, and extends further back. The result emphasizes the long-nose/short-deck proportions, even with the same 112.4-inch (2,855-millimeter) wheelbase as the coupe. A small vent aft of the front wheels breaks up the profile view, too. The big-nostril nose visually lowers the front-end, giving off sportier vibes than the upright 3 sedan. A stronger shoulder line than the soft coupe feeds into the same 4 Series taillights, providing a more dramatic night-time light profile than the rectangular units on the 3. I’m not a big fan of how far the black plastic creeps up the sides of the rear bumper, but beyond that, the 4 GC accomplishes its mission of being a slightly more stylish take on the compact sedan shape.

Surely helping matters is one of the most diverse lineups of color options in the industry. My 430i tester looks great in Sunset Orange metallic, and the San Remo Green of the M440i xDrive is a classy, subtle hue.

As expected, there are no dramatic changes within the 4 Gran Coupe’s five-seat interior. While it may not be the most adventurous design, fit and finish are top notch. There are multiple trim options too, allowing buyers to tailor the interior experience to their liking.

From the driver’s seat, the view is identical to the rest of the 3 and 4 range. The hexagonal center stack houses a standard 10.25-inch touchscreen, with climate and audio controls below. Synthetic leather—which BMW calls SensaTec—is standard for the seating surfaces, and optionally covers the dashboard as well. Of course, leather thrones are optional if you’d prefer, and are included on the day’s testers.

Up front, the only hint this isn’t a regular 4 coupe is available via the rearview mirror. The seats—fully manual here due to a pre-prod hiccup, but to be powered for customer vehicles—are as comfortable and supportive as the rest of the line, that is to say very. The steering wheel offers a wide range of adjustments too, making it easy for drivers to get comfortable. With front headroom at 38.6 inches (980 mm) and rear space at 36.6 inches (930 mm), the GC splits the difference between the regular coupe and the 3 Series sedan. Similarly, there’s about a half-inch of extra rear legroom in here versus the coupe. It’s still not quite as roomy as the 3 Series (34.9 versus 35.2 inches), but for anybody around my height (5’10”), the rear is serviceable for longer drives.

Both 4 Series Gran Coupe models feature the same 10.25-inch central infotainment screen. iDrive 7.0 is a good system, though it’s beginning to feel old in the face of the latest from Mercedes and Genesis. Too many sub-menus is its largest problem, but it remains speedy to respond, either to your pokes and prods or via the rotary dial in the center console. Wireless Apple CarPlay is a cinch to set up, which is rarer than you might think given its proliferation across the industry. I wasn’t able to test Android Auto. A voice assistant lets you up the volume or temperature with a quick “hey BMW,” and I found it pretty consistent without a lot of accidental activations.

Also standard is the 12.3-inch digital instrument panel. It’s crisp and easy to read, though tech lovers will lament the lack of customization.

I started my 4 Gran Coupe experience with the 430i. The four-cylinder is a torquey little engine, and it even sounds pretty decent in the world of small-capacity turbo motors. The roads outside Thermal are quick, well-sighted, and nearly empty, making them ideal testing grounds. Lean into the throttle and the 430i quickly gets up to speed, the eight-speed auto matching the mood without missing a beat. A poke at the Sport button makes the GC hold gears longer, but it’s largely unnecessary: the 2.0-liter does its best work right in the middle of the rev range.

Want more power? The M440i has it, in spades. It sounds better, too. Since the max horsepower increase is nearly double that of the torque (127 versus 74), the M440i also responds more like a big-displacement motor, urging the driver to explore the higher reaches of its rev range. BMW quotes a dash to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 4.4 seconds, and I’ve no reason to doubt that.

Both models ride with a calm, well-damped demeanor, ironing out the—admittedly few—road imperfections to be found in the area.

As the grand tourer of the 4 Series lineup, the GC’s steering is true to form: it doesn’t like to be rushed, preferring smoother, more deliberate motions. There’s decent weight to the rim, but not much in the way of feel. The four-cylinder model is sweeter to thread through the canyons, blessed both with less weight in the nose and no power coursing through the front axle. The M440i’s standard xDrive packs on an additional 377 pounds, and that results in slower responses.

With the $13,000 starting price difference between the two ($46,195 and $59,195, respectively, including destination), it’s hard to justify the extra outlay for the M440i. (The as-tested prices are $57,295 and $67,520, respectively.) If you simply must have the top dog, sure, but the 430i is quick enough in everyday use. The 430i is also better on gas, scoring 28 mpg combined instead of 25 mpg. On the subject of price, the 4 Gran Coupe is even a couple hundred less than the equivalent 4 coupe. Another easy choice.

The 2022 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t need to exist. It’s a niche within a niche: BMW Canada may not bring the car to the Great White North at all, and if it does, it will be the M440i in very limited amounts.

I hope it does, because the 4 GC, specifically in 430i guise, is a very good all-round compact BMW. It offers a little more elegance than the staid 3 Series, a little more value than the 4 Series coupe, and more practicality than either. Who said coupes aren’t rational?

Update (2021.11.12): A previous version of this review stated the 4 Series Gran Coupe may come to Canada in limited 430i amounts. The model will actually be the M440i xDrive. The article has been corrected; the rest of the review remains as before.