BMW M440i Gran Coupé – First driving test

Rolling fields with long rows of bare poles that still remind of the last vintage give way to deciduous forests in red and yellow autumn tones. Under a low sun we cruise just outside Munich on a network of almost deserted country roads. The pace is solid. An occasional glance at the speedometer ensures that we don’t go too far above the maximum permitted 100 km/h, attached as we are to our driver’s license. The mode of transport is the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé, the second generation. To be precise, we are in the BMW M440i Gran Coupé. With its three-liter six-in-line peaking at 374 hp, it is immediately the top of the price list. The new Gran Coupé shares its body with the electric i4 and is the third body variant of the 4-series after the convertible and the two-door coupe. The second generation is larger than the first in all directions. So you have no reason to complain. In the back it is different, the legroom is still not groundbreaking. The headroom under the sloping roofline is even less, as is the view to the rear, by the way. It is fine for three children in the back seat, as an adult passenger you would prefer to sit in the passenger seat.

Unlike the body, the new Gran Coupé does not share its dashboard with the i4, which is in favor of the Gran Coupé. The cockpit layout corresponds exactly to what you see in the latest generation of the 3-series. This means that in addition to the still finely working large iDrive button, there are also still the necessary physical keys. Furthermore, the multimedia screen and the digital instruments do not form an integrated whole (seemingly), but two independent units. The set-up of the instruments follows the same line as with all other new BMWs; that means that it is just a little too colorful for a car in this segment. That is not good for clarity.

Enough reserve

The Gran Coupé debuts with conventional powertrains in a classic design: longitudinal combustion engines with a further refined eight-speed automatic transmission. Electric motors are not yet available. A two-liter petrol engine is available with either 184 hp or 245 hp and a two-liter diesel is good for 190 hp. In principle, these are all rear-wheel drive, although the diesel is also available with four-wheel drive. Four-wheel drive is standard with the three-liter six-cylinder petrol engine, which peaks at 374 hp and 500 Nm. That power source delivers its performance over a very wide rev range and, together with the automatic transmission, is always directly involved. This makes a direct contribution to a great driving pleasure, there is always enough reserve. Normally, the driving forces are neatly distributed over the four wheels, but when it has to be more dynamic, the rear wheels have a leading role. That fits neatly on the standard M Sport chassis (an option for the four-cylinder versions). For those who appreciate it: with this neat hatchback – or liftback if you want – you can comfortably get from A to B, without it immediately becoming too sluggish. But the springs, travel-dependent shock absorbers, stabilizers, rubbers, steering and wheel geometry are tuned, calibrated and/or programmed in such a way that you can also string together one bend after the other. The balance in the M440i Gran Coupé is impressive, what gives this machine a confidence and invites you to give it a good run!

Small independent

Although we prefer to do everything ourselves in the M440i xDrive Gran Coupé, we have also extensively put the active assistance systems to work for the necessary kilometers out of professional curiosity. The fact that the car keeps a good distance from the vehicles in front and neatly keeps the middle of the lane is nothing new. The system now continues. When we drive towards a slower vehicle in front, the automatic transmission already switches back a step, assuming that we want to pass quickly. Thanks to information from the navigation system, the same also happens for bends. In tighter bends, the BMW neatly takes the gas back on its own and for priority intersections and roundabouts, it brakes in a dosed manner. At the

approaching built-up areas, the system indicates, without being coercive, that you can adjust the speed. This also happens when you leave the built-up area. In both cases, the actual tempo change only takes place when you pass the place name sign, so not too early and not too late. It doesn’t stop there. The car also neatly stops before a red traffic light, to alert you when the light is green again.

Everything the system does feels natural, it gives a mature impression and not the beta experience that we sometimes experience with some other brands with an autopilot. You don’t have to be embarrassed about unnatural driving behaviour. It fits in seamlessly with the high-quality impression we have of the rest of the car. Because despite the classically designed drivetrain, the technology is really up to date.