If you need to cross continents in utmost comfort, the all-new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe should be high up your list of lease choices.
Now in its second generation, not only is this Gran Coupe now sleeker and more stylish than before, it’s also wider, longer, taller with more rear headroom, and also has increased amounts of legroom and boot space.
And when you add efficient new mild-hybrid technology to the mix, there’s more than a healthy injection of practicality.
In case you’re unfamiliar, the Gran Coupe version of the BMW 4 Series seeks to provide all the comfort of a four-door saloon yet with the svelte styling of a coupe, while also having a hatchback-back style tailgate that opens wide to accommodate your luggage.
There’s seats for five fully-grown adults and BMW stresses that this is a car for everyday driving as well as being perfect for those longer trips.
And one of the new Gran Coupe’s biggest selling points is the fact that interior space has increased markedly.
It’s 143mm longer, 27mm wider and 53mm taller than its predecessor, while the track widths have also grown to 1,595mm at the front and 1,623mm at the rear.
The wheelbase of 2,856mm is also 46mm longer than the predecessor’s - and 5mm more than the 3 Series Saloon.
You now get 470 litres of boot space – an increase of 39 litres - while load room can be expanded to a maximum of 1,290 litres by folding down the sections of the rear backrest, with its standard 40:20:40 split.
There’s also major changes to the way the car looks - as well as how it drives.
BMW boasts about how the chassis has been tuned for a ‘sporty and stimulating driving experience’ while the aerodynamics have also been tinkered with to improve the handling dynamics.
The exterior redesign is as eye-catching as it is bold.
The 4 Series Gran Coupe gets the now-familiar new BMW nose, with it’s ‘expressive’ front kidney grille and mesh air intakes. It also comes as standard with Adaptive LED headlights.
And BMW describes how ‘smoothly sculpted surfaces structured by crisp lines combine to produce a graceful, sporty look’, which also give it a ‘low-slung, powerful stance on the road’.
There’s a great choice of engines, too.
If you crave decent fuel economy, the 2.0 litre diesel in the ‘420d’ models is aided by 12V mild-hybrid tech and boasts power of 190 hp, a 0-62mph time of just 7.3 seconds, and returns up to 59mpg.
You can also have the diesel with BMW’s sophisticated ‘xDrive’ four wheel drive system.
And while there are more sensibly-powered 2.0 petrol units lower down in the range, the 3.0 straight-six petrol mill you’ll find with the M440i xDrive performance Gran Coupe is the one you’ll secretly lust after.
This engine is also given mild-hybrid wizardry, and somehow manages to return 35 mpg despite having power of 374 hp and a 0-62 mph sprint time of 4.7 seconds.
All the engines available for the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe are teamed with an eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission as standard.
BMW’s M Sport suspension is also fitted as standard across the range - with the exception of M440i xDrive and Pro Edition models, where the uprated ‘M Adaptive Suspension’ is offered in the standard specification.
The cabin should also prove to be a nice place to considerable amounts of time, coming as it does with acoustic glazing fitted as standard, interior mood lighting, as well as a full suite of driver assistance and safety systems fitted as standard - including front-collision warning, speed limit info and lane Departure warning.
A BMW spokesperson said:
“The new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé is a car that delivers on so many fronts, combining sporting elegance with driving pleasure and, with five full-size seats, a roomy cabin and a versatile luggage area, it also represents modern functionality that is hard to emulate.
“BMW has raised the bar even higher with the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé, building on the success of its predecessor. The latest version offers even sharper looks, improved driving dynamics, a superior engine line-up and even more interior space.”
It’s available to order now, priced from £40,465, with deliveries beginning in November.
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