[시승기] “Strange face” BMW 4 Series “A pig nose?” You don’t have an M?”

There are people who want to walk side by side rather than facing each other. That was the case with the BMW M440i xDrive coupe.

The’BMW New 4 Series’ with a grille that is longer than the left and right has landed with the embarrassing nickname’Pigco’. This design that only shows the nose, in fact, there are quite a lot of places to see other than the nose. Short front and rear overhangs, slim pillars, long frameless doors, slim side glass shapes and elegantly stretched roof lines exude elegance.

The most notable change in the BMW 4 Series Coupe is the vertical kidney grille.

The vertical kidney grill is a long-standing legacy of BMW. From’BMW 328 Mille Milia Touring Coupe’ in 1939,’BMW 503 Coupe Sport’ in the 50s, 60s and 70s,’BMW 3200 CS Bertone’ and’BMW 3.0 CS’ are representative models with vertical kidney grilles. BMW has also announced several new designs with the 328 Homage Concept (2011), the BMW Vision Next (2016), and the BMW Concept i4 (2020).

This time, I tested the hot controversial pig nose’BMW M440i xDrive Coupe’. The M440i is a powerful pig with a maximum output of 387 horsepower, a maximum torque of 50.99 kg·m, and a displacement of 2998 cc, with a BMW TwinPower Turbo in-line six-cylinder gasoline engine. The combined fuel economy is 10.4km/ℓ, the weight of an empty vehicle is 1750kg, and it can be said to be the best among pigs.

◆ It had to be different from the new BMW 4 Series and 3 Series.

The existing 4 Series did not receive many choices from consumers because of the similar design to the 3 Series. What was different from the 3 Series was that you could choose a convertible model and red seats. The new 4 series has transformed everything from face to body. It had to be different from the 3 series.

The length and width of the new BMW 4 Series are 4770mm and 1845mm, which are 130mm and 27mm longer than the previous generation. I got bigger. The wheelbase also increased by 41mm to 2850mm, making the interior space even more spacious. When seated in the car, the seat belt protrudes all the way to the shoulder line, helping to wear it conveniently. It is a consideration that I could not feel in the 3 series. Someone said that, if you’re ugly, you should have good manners.

The new 4 Series features unique proportions, optimized aerodynamics, improved body stiffness, and 21mm lower body center of gravity compared to the new 3 Series. Intelligent material combination technology was applied to optimize the weight of the body and chassis. It is stable and heavy, and at the same time, you can feel a sharp contradictory driving feeling.

The front and rear wheels are increased by 28mm and 18mm respectively compared to the previous generation, providing agile and sophisticated handling. Custom body struts applied to the front end and rear axle section support the new 4 Series with high agility. Cornering is easy thanks to the short overhang.

◆ Body rather than face… Shoulder Thug M440i

The front profile of the new 4 series is a pig, but the side profile is a shark. The highest point of the roof (peak) is pulled forward than the previous model to show a steeper slope. The sleek front part reminiscent of a shark’s nose and the side fins reminiscent of the side fins that are the boundary between the back and stomach of a shark stand out. It is a design element that is significantly different from the 3 series.

The voluminous feel naturally stands out thanks to the design that minimizes the lines and emphasizes the face. Designer Lim Seung-mo, who was in charge of the design of the new 4 series, said, “Rather than wearing colorful clothes, I wanted to dress up a solid and proportionate body, and even wear modest clothes,” he said.

To be sure, you need to have broad shoulders. The 4 Series minimizes the use of lines and adds a sense of volume based on the proportion of the BMW Coupe so that the swell shoulder line is emphasized even when looking down from above, as if taking a so-called’air shot’. It looks elegant and bold. The side glass, which has a shape that rapidly narrows to the rear, is harmonized with the shoulder part reminiscent of muscularity, creating a strong image.

The C-pillar and rear fender support the sharply falling roofline, while at the same time, the eyes move naturally with the rear lamp. The rear has a wide and clear surface and a full LED rear lamp that lights up all the time, highlighting the powerful image of the new 4 Series Coupe.

◆ Only those with M should throw stones into this car

BMW Korea first launched the’New 420i Coupe M Sport Package’ and’New M440i xDrive Coupe’, which are the new 4-series coupe lineups. The convertible model’New 420i Convertible M Sport Package’ will start on sale in March, and in the second half of this year, the’New M440i xDrive Convertible and Gran Coupe’ will be released to complete the new 4-series lineup.

In other words, it means that only the high-performance 4 series models with the minimum’M package’ applied will be sold in Korea. It is interpreted that it is not only the design different from the 3 Series, but the sales concept itself.

The new design is admired. However, the new design must be different from the old one. When the Citroen C4 Cactus was first unveiled, the thin headlamps were criticized a lot for being like’torn eyes’, but now this design has become a trend so that it is difficult to see a car whose headlamps are not long left and right. The design of the new 4 series is not yet familiar to the public, so it is simply called the pig nose.

M’s touch can be found all over the body. The kidney grille that extends to the bottom of the front bumper in the 4 Series is designed in a mesh type that was only applied to the M model. The new BMW Kidney Grill is a contemporary reinterpretation of the classic design of the legendary BMW 328 or BMW 3.0 CSi of the past.

◆’centered on me’ selfish gene… “This road is mine”

The interior of the new BMW 4 Series Coupe, designed to be driver-centric, is harmonized with clean surfaces and high-quality materials, emphasizing the luxury of a premium sports coupe. Sports seats and a redesigned M leather steering wheel are standard, and the instrument panel, door panel trim, and high center console provide an environment that surrounds the front passengers.

The instrument panel and the control display on the top of the center fascia intuitively convey various information through a large screen. The start button has also been moved to the center console control panel, which is easy for the driver to reach.

The unique softness of an in-line six-cylinder turbo engine shines even more when combined with a resiliently tuned suspension rather than a rigid one. The new M440i xDrive coupe features an M Sport suspension with special tuning dampers. The RPM change according to the paddle shift operation is also flexible.

In addition, the 8-speed Steptronic sports automatic transmission has a’sprint’ function that adjusts the engine and shift characteristics, making it easier to accelerate and overtake in the 100-140km/h section. The electronically controlled M sports differential, which includes a fully variable locking differential (rear wheel), is installed as standard, allowing smooth running. It takes 4 seconds to reach 100 km/h from a standstill and 4.5 seconds according to specifications.

In addition, the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS)’Driving Assistant Professional’ is applied to the new 4 Series, which enables active cruise control, forward collision warning system, lane departure warning system, and improved steering and lane maintenance assistance and navigation information. It indicates in advance when changes are needed.

You can find the phrase’Sheer Driving Pleasure’ on the rear license plate of a BMW vehicle. We predict that the phrase containing the brand’s core values ​​will shine even more in the new 4 series. Of course, the face is still unfamiliar. The BMW M440i xDrive Coupe costs 81.9 million won.

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