News / 31 January 2024 / Michael Taylor

When the facelifted BMW 4 Series is going on sale in South Africa

BMW has finally unveiled the updated 4 Series, which will once again be sold in both a coupé and convertible format.

The two-door luxury car will be built at the brand’s production plant in Dingolfing, Germany, alongside the M4 performance models, and is scheduled to begin deliveries around the globe from March 2024.

BMW South Africa has confirmed that the new 4 Series will arrive in local showrooms in the third quarter of 2024.

Design and features

For the last two model generations, BMW has grouped its coupes, convertibles, and sedans into their own categories, allowing the carmaker to better differentiate the 4 Series from the 3 Series in terms of their design, proportions, and appearance.

The new 4 Series coupe has been constructed with a more rigid body and chassis for better handling, and the two rear seats were designed individually to ensure a better driving experience for each occupant.

The convertible uses a panel bow soft-top roof, which combines the solidity of a retractable hardtop with the classical aesthetic of a fabric hood, according to the manufacturer.

This roof has an electronic drive mechanism which can be activated while travelling at a speed of up to 50km/h and takes 18 seconds to open or close.

Numerous components are made from aluminium to reduce weight, and both models have improved aerodynamics, resulting in a drag coefficient of 0.27.

The front of the new 4 Series is defined by a restyled kidney grille complemented by new air intakes, vertical daytime running lights, and a slim pair of LED headlights where the low and high beams are generated from a single LED module.

Adaptive non-dazzling Matrix LED headlights are available as an option, and this package also adds Laserlight LED taillamps that were previously reserved for the limited-edition M4 CSL,

A Comfort Access package will add a Welcome Light Animation to the headlamps when the keyless entry system is detected from three metres away, too.

At the rear, the two-door BMW receives a new twin exhaust that integrates into the rear apron and has grown from 90 to 100mm in diametre, and customers can purchase an M Sport package to add a high-gloss black lower rear bumper.

There are two solid and eight metallic paint jobs to choose from, and both cars now come with three different 19-inch alloy wheel choices with a Jet Black, bi-colour, or Midnight Grey finish.

Standard equipment on the 4 Series now includes nine-colour ambient cabin lighting, perforated sports seats, keyless entry and start, automatic climate control, voice commands, front collision warning, cruise control, a speed limiter, lane-departure warning, parking assist, a reverse camera, front and rear parking sensors, a curved Cockpit display running BMW’s new iDrive 8.5 operating software, and a two-spoke leather steering wheel with paddle shifters.

The 4 Series Coupe’s sports seats are the first to feature a new M Performtex sustainable material, but customers can elect for a Vernasca leather trim with a black-and-red theme, or a Merino leather option in three colours.

The dashboard now has a Dark Graphite matte finish, but the M Sport package will add aluminium and Anthracite strips to various components, as well as a three-spoke steering wheel with a flat-bottom rim.

The optional Driving Assistant Professional Package adds lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control with Stop & Go, automatic speed limit assist, route speed control, traffic light recognition, and a panoramic camera.

Performance

At launch, the new 4 Series will be sold with a selection of both diesel and petrol TwinPower Turbo drivetrains in either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, all of which are mated to an eight-speed Steptronic Sport automatic transmission.

The engine roster will include two four-cylinder petrol engines with an output of 135kW and 180kW, as well as a four-cylinder diesel with 140kW.

There are also six-cylinder options, including a diesel block with 210kW, though BMW has not yet published a full breakdown of each of these units.

All of the six-cylinder models, as well as the four-cylinder diesel, also feature 48V mild-hybrid technology for better fuel efficiency, which can contribute an extra 8kW when accelerating and benefits from regenerative braking.

The two-door car boasts a 50:50 weight distribution and uses lift-related dampers to provide a balance between sportiness and comfort, said BMW.

Customers can also augment the experience with extras such as adaptive M suspension, variable sport steering, and M Sport brakes.

More information will be announced regarding the BMW 4 Series in South Africa, such as its pricing and model line-up, closer to the vehicle’s launch window.