BMW 4 Series

BMW 4 Series at a glance

BMW created the 4 Series by splitting the two-door 3 Series off into its own range. The previous 3 Series coupé and convertible (E92/E93) were the last two-door cars to carry the 3 badge. More two-door BMWs are listed in our BMW catalogue.

Generations and model history

The M4 figures (317-368 kW for the F82/F83, 353-405 kW for the G82/G83) are not included in the table; the M4 is covered as its own model.

F32, F33 and F36 (2013-2020)

The 4 Series was previewed by a concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2013. The production coupé (F32) appeared at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2013 and was built in Munich from July 2013. The convertible (F33), shown at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, kept a folding hard top and was built in Regensburg from November 2013. The Gran Coupé (F36), a five-door liftback with a coupé roofline, followed at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show and came from Dingolfing from July 2014.

Compared with the E92 coupé, the F32 grew by 50 mm in wheelbase, 31 mm in length and 44 mm in width. BMW facelifted the range on 16 January 2017 with new LED headlights and tail-lights, revised bumpers, iDrive 6.0 and stiffer suspension for the coupé and Gran Coupé. At the same time the 440i replaced the 435i and the 430i replaced the 428i. Production ran until September 2020. Annual output peaked at 152,390 cars in 2015.

G22, G23 and G26 (since 2020)

The second generation was previewed by the Concept 4 at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show and launched as a coupé in June 2020. It moved to BMW's CLAR platform, shares much of its hardware with the G20 3 Series and has a 50/50 weight distribution and a wider track than its predecessor. The design, by Seungmo Lim, is dominated by a tall vertical kidney grille that BMW linked to the 1930s 328 and the 3.0 CSi; it split opinion from the start.

The G23 convertible, unveiled at the end of September 2020, swapped the folding metal roof for a fabric top that opens or closes in 18 seconds at up to 50 km/h (31 mph). The G26 Gran Coupé is built in Munich. A curved dual-screen display arrived in 2022, and the 2024 facelift brought new LED headlights with a revised light signature, matte-chrome grille surrounds, optional laser tail-lights first seen on the M4 CSL, a flat-bottomed steering wheel with paddles and BMW Operating System 8.5.

Engines, transmissions and performance

The first generation offered a wide spread of engines, including a three-cylinder:

An eight-speed automatic was available on all versions and most could be ordered with xDrive. The current generation is automatic only, again with eight speeds:

All versions are limited to 250 km/h. The 48 V system on the six-cylinder models uses a belt-driven starter-generator that recovers energy under braking; Auto Express quotes an extra 8 kW (11 bhp) in boost mode. The M440i comes only with xDrive; most other versions can be ordered with rear-wheel or all-wheel drive. With the 2024 facelift BMW UK dropped the diesels, leaving the 420i and M440i; the convertible 420i takes 8.2 s to 100 km/h against 7.5 s for the coupé. You can convert any of these outputs with our power converter.

Dimensions, space and boot

The first-generation coupé measured 4,638 mm on a 2,810 mm wheelbase and weighed from 1,430 kg. The F36 Gran Coupé had the same boot volume as the F30 3 Series saloon but 13 mm less rear headroom; with the rear seats folded it offered 1,300 litres. Whether a 4.8-metre coupé suits your space is easy to test with our garage fit tool.

Fuel economy and running costs

For the facelifted coupé, Auto Express quotes 53.3 mpg (UK) for the 420i, which is about 5.3 l/100 km, and 41.5 mpg (about 6.8 l/100 km) for the M440i xDrive. The convertibles are slightly thirstier at 49.6 and 40.9 mpg. These are official figures; real-world use will be higher, especially in the six-cylinder car.

Trims and equipment

In the G22, M Sport suspension is standard, while adaptive M suspension is optional and adjusts damping, steering and throttle response. LED headlights are standard, with laser lights offered at launch and Matrix LED after the facelift. The early cars had iDrive 7 with an 8.8-inch centre screen as standard and a larger 10.3-inch option; Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard. The M Sport Pro pack adds darker trim, 19-inch wheels and specific colours. In the UK the facelifted 420i is sold as M Sport and M Sport Pro, and the M440i as M Performance; Auto Express listed the coupé from GBP 43,020 and the convertible from GBP 49,695 (2024, roughly EUR 51,000 and EUR 59,000).

First-generation cars came as Sport, Luxury and M Sport lines, with options such as a head-up display, heated seats and keyless entry.

Safety

BMW did not submit the 4 Series to Euro NCAP as a separate model. The rating that applies is the 2019 test of the closely related G20 3 Series, which scored five stars. ANCAP aligned its 2019 rating of the 4 Series coupé and convertible with that test, scoring 97% and 96% for adult occupant protection. The optional Driving Assistance Professional package adds adaptive cruise with stop-and-go, lane-keeping assistance with side collision avoidance and rear automatic emergency braking.

Reliability and known issues

We have found no model-specific reliability survey or recall pattern for the 4 Series that we can cite, so we do not list known faults. The four- and six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines are the same B48, B58, B47 and B57 units used across the 3 and 5 Series, which makes parts and specialist knowledge easy to find.

Rivals

The 4 Series competes with the Audi A5 Coupé, Cabriolet and Sportback and with the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and later CLE coupé and cabriolet. Inside BMW, the 2 Series Coupé is the cheaper rear-drive alternative and the i4 the electric one. Our comparison tool lets you put any of them side by side.

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