BMW 4-Series Gran Coupe Facelift: Bold Design Continues to Turn Heads

It’s now three years since BMW whipped up a ton of controversy by revealing the current 4-Series Coupe and its jumbo double kidney grilles. The automaker and its design team stood firm, confident that we’d all come around to the look, just as we eventually embraced flame surfacing two decades earlier.

Confidence in Design

And underlining that confidence in its original go-bold decision, the facelifted versions of every member of the 4-Series family, including the four-door Gran coupe seen here, and its i4 EV sister shown at the foot of the post, wear their grilles loud and proud in every one of the spy shots that have crossed our desks in recent months.

In fact, BMW seems so sure it got the original designs right for the 4-Series Coupe, Convertible, Gran Coupe, M4, and i4, that it’s made almost no changes to the way they’ll look for the next three years. The only way most of us will be able to tell the current cars from the new versions arriving this fall and early in 2024 is by the new lighting signature visible at the front and rear of each. The shape of the light units themselves won’t change, but the arrangement of the DRLS and the rear LED pattern will be tweaked.

Unchanged Appearance

Judging by this white 4-Series’ side marker lights, it’s a U.S. spec car being tested in Europe and the fairly aggressive bumpers, black window trim, and large wheels say it’s wearing the optional M Sport kit ($2,750 at current prices). That, and the round tailpipes, would make it a 430i, so powered by BMW’s 2.0-liter Twin-Power inline four that’s rated at 255 hp (258 PS) in its current form. The top-dog Gran Coupe, the M440i (there’s no M4 Gran Coupe), looks similar but has rectangular exhaust tailpipes.

The i4 EV seen below also appears unchanged apart from new lights front and rear, though it’s possible that more subtle changes will become apparent when the disguise is removed. We also wouldn’t be surprised if BMW made some modifications to the powertrain and battery setups to liberate a few more miles from a full charge. Though the mid-spec, single-motor eDrive40 offers a reasonable 301-mile (484 km) range, the base eDrive35’s smaller battery pegs it back to 260 miles (418 km), and the high-performance M50 is rated at just 245 miles (394 km). Let’s get back to those grilles, though. Has your anger mellowed three years on, or did you love the king-sized kidneys from the start? Leave a comment and let us know.

Images: Baldauf / SH Proshots

Conclusion

The bold design of the BMW 4-Series Gran Coupe continues to turn heads. Despite the initial controversy surrounding its jumbo double kidney grilles, BMW has remained confident in its decision and made almost no changes to the design for the facelifted versions of the 4-Series family. The upcoming models will feature new lighting signatures at the front and rear, but the overall appearance will remain largely unchanged. The 4-Series Gran Coupe, along with its i4 EV counterpart, proudly display their grilles in recent spy shots. While some may still have reservations about the design, BMW’s confidence in its bold approach is evident. As the new models hit the market, it will be interesting to see if public opinion has shifted over the past three years. Regardless, the BMW 4-Series Gran Coupe facelift is sure to make a statement on the road.