BMW took a big step forward when it redesigned the 4 Series with new exterior and interior elements. While the mechanics are not fully new, the higher M440i gets a mild-hybrid setup and an AWD as standard. As the 4 Series carries over into 2021 as a two-door coupe, convertible, and four-door gran coupe.

2021 BMW 4 Series Coupé

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2021 BMW 4 Series Coupé
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

Overview

Over the years, the 4 Series coupe has developed a nice fanbase for its compact two-door form and, of course, performance and handling. For the 2021 model year, the car got into its second generation and now it has new looks, updated tech, a strong approach to opulence, and a lot more including a slightly more powerful 2.0-liter engine and a mild-hybrid tech for the straight-six engine. Let’s briefly discuss the changelog, and the first would be the exterior design which is not ideally the BMW style we have all seen over the years. The size of the coupe gets a bump over the previous generation. Taking a look at the cabin, a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument console and an 8.8-inch touchscreen contribute to the high-tech integrity of the company. BMW revised the suspension and steering of the new 4-Series coupe for an engaging drive and not by completely selling the ride quality. Surely the 2021 4 Series coupe looks more promising than ever but, will it be the right choice for your garage apart from the 2021 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Lexus RC, and the Audi A5?

Trims and Features

The 2021 4 Series coupe is available in three trims: 430i, 430i xDrive, and M440i xDrive. The standard 430i gets powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine and drives through the rear wheels. The 430i xDrive is the all-wheel drive variant of the standard 4-Series coupe. The M440i xDrive gets a 3.0-liter straight-six engine but, unlike the last generation, it gets a 48-volt mild-hybrid system which increases power by regulating fuel economy. Detailed trims and specs are just below:

330i } }

Price: $45,600.

- LED headlights, DRLs, and taillights.

- 18-inch alloys.

- Sunroof.

- Heated and power-folding mirrors.

- Keyless ignition.

- Leatherette upholstery.

- 10-way power-adjustable front seats with power lumbar support and driver memory settings.

- 5.1-inch digital information screen.

- 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment display.

- Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity.

- 10-speaker audio unit.

- Navigation system.

Standard safety features available with the 4-Series are as follows:

- Lane-departure warning.

- Parking sensors.

- Forward collision mitigation.

- Blindspot monitoring.

Available packages and standalone features available with the 430i are as follows:

Convenience Package. } }

- Ambient lighting.

- Adjustable lumbar support.

- Keyless entry.

Premium Package. } }

- Includes convenience package features.

- Heated front seats.

- Heated steering wheel.

- 12.3-inch fully digital instrument panel.

- 10.25-inch touchscreen display.

- Heads-up display.

Executive Package. } }

- Includes premium package features.

- Hands-free gesture controls for the infotainment system.

- Adaptive headlamps.

Parking Assistance Package. } }

- 360-degree camera view.

- Automated parking assist.

Driving Assistance Professional Package. } }

- Low-speed automated steering assist.

- Adaptive cruise control.

- Lane-keeping assist.

M Sport Package. } }

- Includes features from the convenience package.

- Sport-tuned suspension.

- 19-inch wheels with optional performance tires.

- Variable sport steering.

- Sports steering wheel.

- Aerodynamic body kit.

Dynamic Handling Package. } }

- Upgraded brakes.

- Sport differential.

- 19-inch wheels with the performance tires as standard.

- Adaptive suspension dampers.

Available stand-alone options include: } }

- Leather upholstery.

- Ventilated front seats.

- 16-speaker Harman Kardon audio unit.

- Power tailgate.

- Drive recorder.

- Wireless charging pad.

- Upgraded brakes and adaptive suspension dampers.

M440i xDrive (Coupe only) } }

Price: $58,500.

- Features from the M Sport package.

- Dynamic Handling package excluding the adaptive suspension dampers.

- All of the above packages

Exterior: Looks sharp but controversial at the same time

I know that a lot of you guys did not like the new look of the 4 Series, especially the front grille. It kind of looks like an angry bunny face, in my opinion. But with the right color scheme, it looks aggressive. Moving on to the overall design language, the new 2021 4 Series coupe is the sharpest so far. The sleek LEDs at the front and rear, more vents, and bigger dimensions are the key exterior changes. BMW claims that this new coupe has a drag coefficient of up to 0.25, better than the outgoing generation. Other features include 18-inch alloy wheels, a moonroof, adaptive brake lights, and a few more. The M Sport package adds aggressive design bits to the standard car like the 19-inch alloy wheels and an aerodynamic body kit.

As mentioned earlier, the new 4 Series coupe is longer than the previous generation at 187.9 inches. 5.2 inches, to be exact and that is the most noticeable difference among the two generations. The other dimensions are slightly increased too, with 72.9 inches wide (+1-inch), and 54.6 inches tall (+0.4-inch). There is a 5-inch ground clearance ensuring that the coupe is limited to being on the tarmac. A few of the exterior standout features of the 2021 4 Series coupe are as follows:

- LED headlights, DRLs, and taillights.

- Chrome-coated dual exhaust. (430i only)

- Redesigned broader exhausts for the M440i coupe.

- 18-inch alloys (standard), 19-inch alloys (M440i).

- Optional performance tires.

- Redesigned front grille.

- Power-folding and heated side mirrors.

2021 BMW 4-Series Coupe Exterior Dimensions

Model

2021 BMW 4-Series Coupe

Curb Weight 

3,578 pounds

Length

187.9 inches

Width 

72.9 inches

Height

54.6 inches

Ground Clearance 

5.0 inches

Wheelbase 

112.2 inches


Interior: Plusher, tech-heavy but at a cost

As one of the core German carmakers, BMW has always been one of the best in terms of cabin quality, and with the new 2021 4- eries, they embraced it. The outgoing generation’s innards were great until the moment it felt quite dated. As before, the interior ambiance is pleasingly delivered with soft-touch plastics, excellent fit and finish, leatherette seats, and a few more features. The cabin feels similar to that of the 3 Series but a few changes could have been nice. The redesigned dashboard is new for the 4 Series with an 8.8-inch standard touch-sensitive display as the center screen. The finish on the leather-wrapped steering wheel is amazing with the enhanced feel. A newly added digital instrument panel of 12.3-inch size comes as an optional extra, which is kind of a bummer.

This is no $20,000 car with an optional digital instrument panel. What is more disappointing is the fact that the top-of-the-line M440i does not get the screen as it is still optional. If you are not a techy person then you will get used to the analog dials and a 5.1-inch multi-information display. The door panels have soft-touch plastics and even have leatherette stitchings. Ambient lighting, moonroof, and dual-zone climate control come as standard. The seats are nice and comfortable and come faux leather covered as standard. Although, you can get the Vernasca leather ones at just $1,450 extra. With up to 10-levels of power adjustability and heating options, the driver and front passenger will have a great time facing the road.

Since the 4 Series coupe is a two-door car, practicality is somewhat eliminated at the rear row. Seating capacity is restricted to 4 people. The front row is quite spacious with good headroom and legroom. If you plan to carry two grown-ups back in the second row, it wouldn’t be much of a problem for short city strolls. The legroom is set to 34.5 inches which is not great for long-highway drives.

Let me reiterate that the second row is not annoyingly uncomfortable. What might be an issue for most of the passengers would be the ingress and egress as the seating is quite low. If you compare the 4 Series with the competition, the C-Class and A5 coupe has similar 32 and 32.7 inches of rear legroom, but the RC 300 is the worst with 27.3 inches of rear legroom. So, choosing the 4 Series wouldn’t be bad. In terms of cargo capacity, it packs just 12 cubic feet which is decent for the segment. A few of the interior features of the 2021 4-Series coupe worth mentioning are as follows:

- Dual-zone automatic climate control.

- Vernasca leather seats. (Optional)

- Leather-wrapped steering wheel.

- 12.3-inch driver information display. (Optional)

- Sunroof.

- Ambient lighting. (Optional)

- 10-way power-adjustable front seats with multi-level heating options.

2021 BMW 4-Series Coupe Interior Dimensions

Model

2021 BMW 4-Series Coupe

Seating Capacity

4

Front Row (Headroom/Shoulder Room/Leg Room, in inches)

38.0/55.1/41.8

Second Row (Headroom/Shoulder Room/Leg Room, in inches)

35.2/51.0/34.5

Cargo Capacity 

12.0 cu. ft. 


BMW equipped the new 2021 4 Series coupe with the updated iDrive infotainment system coupled with an 8.8-inch touchscreen display. There is an optional 10.25-inch touchscreen unit available but the standard screen will be enough for most of you folks. The updated infotainment system is more fluid and is one of the most user-interactive systems among the Germans companies and brands. Other standard infotainment system features include a navigation system, a 10-speaker audio unit, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto connectivity. A few of the other optional infotainment features include:

- 10.25-inch touchscreen display.

- Heads-up display.

- 360-degree camera view.

- Hands-free gesture control.

- 16-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio unit.

Performance and Handling: Better than what it was and quite the competition holding

The new 4 Series indeed derives power from the older engine but there have been a few important changes, and the first would be the slightly more powerful 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine which puts out a pretty decent 255 horsepower, up by 7 horsepower. The torque output is increased to 295 pound-feet from 258 from the earlier generation. The standard engine still runs through the rear wheels and an 8-speed automatic unit as standard. The 430i xDrive trim offers the AWD with a center limited-slip differential. The second change in the powertrain would be the bigger 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight-six engine which now gets electric assistance from a 48-volt motor. Both combined put out 382 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. The M440i coupe gets AWD as standard but shifts through an 8-speed automatic unit like the standard 430i.

In day-to-day performance, the base 2.0-liter engine does not feel stressed out if you put down the throttle and behaves well inside the city limits with an adequate punch. However, the standard 430i does a knot to 60 in 5.5 seconds and the 430i xDrive does the same in 5.3 seconds. If you drive more enthusiastically and want more power, then the $58,500 priced M440i xDrive will do the job. The peppy 3.0-liter engine does a knot to 60 in a claimed 3.8 seconds and a standing quarter-mile in 12.3 seconds. If you want to know how the M440i stands against the competition then, the Infiniti Q60 Red Sport with its 400 horsepower twin-turbo takes 4.5 seconds to reach 60 mph. The Mercedes-AMG C 43 takes 4.0 seconds to do the same. So for the real-world performance, the 4 Series coupe would be a great choice.

Now that we have come nearly to the end of this section, let’s talk about the new 4 Series coupe’s handling dynamics. I would like to praise BMW for how well they have calibrated the suspension and steering inputs. On windy roads, the coupe feels more stable than before and even takes sharp turns without a lot of body rolls. BMW did a great job in making the 4-Series a better handling car by not taking away riding comfort, which has been the case with the majority of the competition. In slower speeds and city limits, the coupe feels refined with adequate suspension travel and the goodwill carries on to the highways where the chassis stability is noticed better. The overall handling felt exuberant with the new 4-Series.

2021 BMW 4-Series Coupe Performance Stats

Model

2021 BMW 430i Coupe

2021 BMW M440i xDrive

Engine Type

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4

3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight-six w/ 48-volt mild-hybrid

Drivetrain

RWD/AWD

AWD

Transmission

8-speed shiftable automatic

8-speed shiftable automatic

Power 

255 HP @ 5,000 RPM

382 HP @ 5,800 RPM

Torque 

295 lb-ft @ 1,550 RPM

369 lb-ft @ 1,800 RPM

0-60 (MPH) 

5.5/5.3 seconds

3.8 seconds

Quarter-mile

-

12.3 seconds

Top Speed

157 mph

157 mph


Fuel Economy

It was inevitable for the hybrid engine to do better than the gas-only straight-six engine found on the earlier generation 4-Series. But surprisingly the standard coupe, despite the power increase, does better with the city mileage. The EPA rates it with 26/34/29 for city/highway/combined which is relatively better than the C-Class and A5 which are stuck at 27 mpg combined. The more powerful M440i with the hybrid assistance gains 4 mpg in the city, 3 mpg on the highways, and that increases the combined economy from 21 to 25 mpg from the outgoing generation. The tank size is shrunken by 0.2 gallons but that doesn’t make a lot of difference. The 430i with its standard RWD gets 452.4 miles of combined range and the M440i coupe gets a major improvement over the last generation and now can return up to 390 miles per full tank.

2021 BMW 4-Series Coupe Fuel Economy

Model

2021 BMW 430i Coupe

2021 BMW M440i xDrive

MPG (City)

26

22

MPG (Highway)

34

31

MPG (Combined)

29

25

Tank Capacity (Gallons)

15.6

15.6

Range (City, Highway, Combined)

405.6/530.4/452.4

343.2/483.6/390.0


How safe is the new 2021 BMW 4-Series coupe?

As of now, there are no safety ratings to judge how tough the 4 Series coupe is but the company’s reputation of safety and reliability are on the zenith. That said, the safety features available as standard includes cruise control, stability control, traction control, tire pressure monitoring, a rearview camera, automatic forward collision mitigation, blindspot monitoring, lane-departure warning, and parking sensors. A few of the optional safety features are as follows:

- Adaptive cruise control.

- Automated steering on the highway at lower speeds.

- Lane-keeping assist.

- Traffic-jam assist.

- Automated parking assist.

Is the 2021 BMW 4-Series Coupe the right one among the other options?

Taking the good build quality with enhanced driving dynamics, and updated electronics in its pocket, the new 4 Series is a great choice among the competition. Not forgetting about the stellar performance of both the 2.0-liter and 3.0-liter mills, they are now more refined and better than ever. The Lexus RC can get head-to-head with the BMW in terms of build quality, unique looks, and even an attractive price tag. The C-Class and A5 coupe are two of the most prominent rivals of the 4-Series but in our opinion, the latter would be a better choice in terms of the overall package.