GRAN DEFT AUTO (some text hidden)

By Jonathan Crouch

So the coupe version of the BMW 3 Series is the 4 Series, right? Not if you add two more doors and call it a 4 Series Gran Coupe. Jonathan Crouch reports

Ten Second Reviewword count: 58

If you like the look of a BMW 4 Series Coupe but family duties look like forcing you into something a bit frumpier, help is at hand. The 4 Series Gran Coupe retains a sleek shape but adds a couple of rear doors. We think it's a much better bet than the frumpier 3 Series Gran Turismo model.

Backgroundword count: 155

Stick with us here. This one takes a bit of working out. BMW will sell you a four-door 3 Series but gives the two-door Coupe and Convertible versions a '4 Series' badge. So far, so good. If you want five doors in a compact executive model of this type from BMW, it's a little more complicated. There is a five-door 3 Series - the 'Gran Turismo' model - but very few people buy it. One of the reasons why is the existence of this car, the 4 Series Gran Coupe. Here, you get much more stylish five-door practicality, with all the usual 3 Series good bits underneath. These days, those good bits also include a rejuvenated range of petrol engines, plus the option of xDrive all-wheel drive and, with this recently revised model, smarter styling too. In short, it looks like there's most of what you're going to need here. Let's check this car out.

Driving Experienceword count: 184

Given that the 4 Series Gran Coupe runs on the same running gear as the 4 Series Coupe, it's reasonable to expect similar driving dynamics. The wheelbase, length, track and width of the Gran Coupe are exactly the same as its two-door sibling, so it clues you into what you're going to get. This 4 sits a bit closer to the road than a 3 Series and also gets the coupe's extra bracing between the front subframe and the body, beefing up steering response. On to engines, which are now limited to petrol power. Not much is different with the base four cylinder 184bhp 2.0-litre unit found in the 420i, though it is slightly more efficient than it used to be and, as before, comes in rear wheel drive and xDrive 4WD guises. The pokier version of this powerplant carries a '430i' badge and has 252bhp, with 350Nm of torque, making possible a rest to 62mph time of just 5.9s. That makes it difficult to imagine why you'd want a six cylinder petrol model, but if you still do, there's a 326bhp '440i' variant.

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