The new BMW 4 Series lands in Singapore

Don’t say it, I already know what you’re already thinking and I wouldn’t blame you. You can’t avoid it, you can’t unsee it, it is the very first thing you’ll look at once you set your eyes on the new G22 4 Series.

While it is very easy (and almost trendy) to hate on the new car’s design direction the same way we all laughed at Bangle’s posterior, humour me please when I say, have a look at the car in real life before coming to your own conclusion. Because I’m pretty sure a number of you will be pleasantly surprised by how much less offensive it is in the metal.

The new 4’s design can be many things but one thing it isn’t, is boring. Yes, I do have a couple of issues with certain aspects of the design which (surprise surprise!) have nothing to do with the 4’s new snout.

I don’t fancy the treatment of the rear quarter glass and how BMW have watered down the hoffmeister kink to an almost unrecognisably generic shape, I find the lack of a clear defining shoulder line a missed opportunity, and I really wish BMW had designed an optional side-mounted front plate mount. Having the plates stuck right in the middle of the grill is perhaps even more jarring to me than its size.

Other than those little aesthetic nitpicks, with the right colour chosen, this is a good looking car. A little too striking for some maybe, but in terms of overall apperance, it has defintely moved the 4 Series up a notch in the upmarket coupe segment. It feels almost like a 6-Series.

Regardless of how you feel about the car’s aesthetic, one thing is for sure and that it is now available in Singapore in both 430i and 420i guises. Sadly, with weak market demand and increasingly strict and costlier local homologation processes, the more exuberant 6-banger M440i will not be making its appearance on our shores anytime soon.

The latest iteration of the ($266,888) 430i comes in with a slight power bump up to 258 hp and 400Nm of torque. M Sport Pro trim will come as standard, meaning snazzier 19-inch wheels, a rear spoiler, a Harman Kardon surround sound system and supposedly, a “sportier” piped-in engine note.

While the ($218,888) 420i makes do with less power (184hp and 300Nm), you are not missing out that much when it comes to everything else. Unlike the 430i which gets M Sport Pro trim, the 420i is equipped with standard M Sport trim which, at least to my eyes, is the more aesthetically pleasing variant,, trading overt aggression for a little elegance. Of course, you will have to make do with 18-inch alloys, but then there’s always the option of going aftermarket.

I’ll love to bore you over the numerous details of the latest 4 but I’m very sure it will be difficult to convince you with just pictures and words, so why not take a trip down to Performance Motors for an up-close and personal look yourself? I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

For more information, download the full press release below.