BMW’s 4 Series is an all-new design, not a facelift. But it’s the car’s new face sparking controversy among BMW fans, stealing attention from its shapely body, upgraded interior and state-of-the-art tech and safety features. 

BMW spun off the long running 2-door versions of its 3 Series into the related 4 Series in 2013, and for 2021 the 4 Series enters its second generation. The 3 and 4 Series still share a platform, but the new 4 goes its own way with distinct styling and the coddling personality of a luxury Grand Tourer.

BMW 4 Series strikes out on its own: No longer a 3 Series sedan with fewer doors, but an elegant GT coupe and convertible that start from $46,595. BMW

About that face: BMW has shaken the status quo with an overscaled, vertical take on its signature twin-kidney grille. Critics have called it “bucktoothed,” or worse. No stranger to controversial style, BMW’s “flamed surface” designs of the early 2000s once earned similar brickbats. Let’s call it an acquired taste. Over a week of driving, the grille became less of an issue, and several passersby—including a few BMW owners—insisted they liked it. 

The rest is a handsome coupe that’s grown longer, wider and lower. It draws clear inspiration from BMW’s 8-Series coupe. 

The interior preserves the brand status quo, with design themes, switches and materials that are familiar from every BMW: Luxurious but unexciting. Fortunately, some traditional BMW themes work extremely well, including thick-bolstered, all-day-comfortable seats and the latest version of the trusty iDrive infotainment system. 

The nose may be controversial, but the 4 Series coupe’s profile is handsome and clean. BMW

The optional Live Cockpit Professional, first seen in BMW’s such as the X7 SUV, manages any drama, flashing crisp displays and graphics on a 10.3-inch touchscreen and 12.3-inch driver’s gauge cluster. (Smaller displays are standard). In tandem with the latest iDrive infotainment controller, it’s a fairly faultless environment for managing systems and functions. 

The 4 Series can be had with virtually every luxury, convenience and driver-assistance feature available on BMW’s top-end models—for a price. An upgraded, 16-speaker Harman Kardon audio system is a fair deal at $875.

The oversized, vertical take on BMW’s classic twin-kidney grille is lighting up the internet, but not in a good way. BMW

For $3,700, an Executive Package includes BMW’s excellent head-up display, heated seats and steering wheel, Live Cockpit Professional and BMW’s ever-balky Gesture Control. The latter allows a driver to use hand gestures to control audio volume and a few other functions. Sometimes it works. 

Standard advanced driver-assistance safety technologies are standard, including forward collision avoidance, pedestrian braking and monitors for blind spots, lane departure and rear cross-traffic alerts.  An additional $1,700 Driving Assistance Professional Package enables limited hands-free driving on highways, but also includes a camera array showing Tesla-esque 3D, 360-degree visualizations of surrounding cars. It can record 40 seconds of video on command or capture up to 20 seconds in the time leading up to a collision. 

This 4 Series is born for comfy commuting or making effortless time across the Interstate. A drive from Providence, Rhode Island to Brooklyn took less than three hours in the M440i xDrive, much of that in a howling rainstorm. The car’s traction, stability and agility are impressive in all conditions. 

Unlike the exterior, the 4 Series cabin doesn’t make design waves. It’s comfortable and richly finished, with attractive displays and an intuitive infotainment system. BMW

An adaptive M suspension ($700) strikes a fine balance between a plush ride and confident control. But the M440i’s shining star is its motor: A turbocharged, 3.0-liter inline six with 382 horsepower, 369 pound-feet of torque and a mild hybrid, 48-volt motor/generator delivering an 11-horsepower electric boost. It’s one of the best six-cylinder engines on the planet, with intoxicating power, a mellow exhaust roar and the ability to deliver 31 mpg on the highway. It’s connected to an impeccable eight-speed automatic transmission with standard paddle shifters. BMW estimates a 4.3-second sprint to 60 mph, but testers have recorded a sizzling 3.8 seconds. 

The new 4 Series also carves up a back road with ridiculous ease, but there’s more isolation and less pure sensation than hardcore fans might like. They will prefer at the 2021 M4 version that will join the lineup early next year.

Stuffed like a German schnitzel with options, the M440i checked out at $71,870, from the base price of $59,495. 

In keeping with its sportier mission an M-badge associations, the M440i (left) has slightly more aggressive styling than the 430i (right). Some people might find the big grille less distracting on the 430i. BMW

For buyers with tighter budgets, the 430i model is the smart play. It starts from $46,595 in rear-drive form. Adding xDrive AWD kicks that to $48,595, a significant $10,900 less than the M440i. That 430i is a compelling performer in its own right thanks to its turbocharged four-cylinder engine, boosted to 255 horsepower and 294 pound-feet of torque for 2021. 

The 430i combines a brisk zero-to-60 mph run of 5.5 seconds (or 5.3 with AWD) with class-leading EPA fuel economy of 26/34 mpg in city and highway.  

For those who prefer their motoring al fresco, the 4 Series also offers a convertible. 

No longer a retractable hardtop as in the previous generation, the 2021 4 Series convertibles have a conventional soft top in place of the coupe’s fixed roof. Mechanically, they’re very similar to the coupe, but dropping the top does add to the price. Offered in identical trims, with the 430i Convertible starting at $54,095 and the M440 version at $64,995.

The SUV explosion, new players like the Tesla Model 3 and declining interest in coupes have taken a huge bite out of 3 and 4 Series sales in recent years. With fresh styling and the brand’s latest tech-and-luxury lures, BMW has done what it can to gird the 4 Series for showroom battle. Sales will tell whether BMW fans fall for that daring grille or if it’s a face that only its BMW mother could love.