There are times that automotive manufacturers find themselves being innovative with designs to the point that they can legitimately call a vehicle something that it is not because its “style” looks like something else. For BMW, such vehicles are called “Gran Coupe,” which may be confusing for some, but it is a 4-door “sedan” that has a smooth sloping roofline almost running to the rear spoiler that looks like a coupe (2-door) to some. One of the latest “Gran Coupe” vehicles is the new 2022 M440i Gran Coupe, a restyling approach to BMW’s 4 Series coupe but with 4 frameless doors and a rear power hatch.
The new 2022 BMW M440i Gran Coupe should not be confused with an actual 2-door coupe or any of the M Motorsport vehicles (M3, M4, M5, etc.) as it is more of an outlier that sports the M Sport bits to essentially make a 4-door-fitted 4 Series sportier and more unique, which BMW has done well to pull off as I find after my week with such a vehicle. Not to mention, the M440i Gran Coupe is much larger now in its second generation and more of a versatile offering for a 4 Series because of its 4-doors. I know you may ask why not just get a new BMW 3 Series for those 4-doors? Well, the 3 Series sedan doesn’t have the unique looks of the 4 Gran Coupe in addition to the M440i Gran Coupe retaining its elongated and controversial front grille of the 4 Series Coupe (which, by the way, doesn’t look all that bad in the color of my test vehicle – but it still has not grown on me personally).
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The new 2022 BMW M440i Gran Coupe is powered by the same mild-hybrid powertrain that I had the pleasure of experiencing in the M440i Convertible I had a few weeks back, an enjoyable 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6-cylinder coupled with an integrated 48-volt hybrid system starter-generator. The difference in the M440i Gran Coupe is its standard all-wheel-drive xDrive system that cleverly distributes power to all four wheels for an added assurance of handling and getting its power down to the ground without any drama. The 382 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque feel strong and get the 4 Series Gran Coupe up to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds. The 8-speed automatic transmission’s direct shifting with limited use of its torque converter along with a launch mode helps to achieve that quick time for such a luxury sport “sedan.”
See Also: 2021 BMW M440i xDrive Review & Test Drive
To aid in fuel efficiency getting the EPA estimates of 22 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined is part of the M440i Gran Coupe’s active air-flap control system for a nearly flat undertray touting a 0.28 drag coefficient. The near 50/50 weight distribution helps the balance of the 4 Series Gran Coupe, and you can feel such when you start to toss it around. The suspension does well to keep the vehicle firmly planted and level on twisty roads while the adaptive dampers do an excellent job to keep the ride relatively smooth and civilized without sacrificing its nimble feeling – a trait that feels as if it was missing in some “M Sport” vehicles but has returned to BMW in this vehicle. The 19-inch wheels and high-performance run-flat Pirelli P-Zero tires help in the handling department.
Braking is surprisingly strong and sometimes abrupt from the M Sport brakes that have red-painted calipers on my test vehicle. There’s a welcomed stability with the braking and high-speed stability that feels as if it is easier to push the M440i Gran Coupe harder than you would want on public back roads. Sport and Sport-Plus drive modes firm up the dampers slightly, advance the throttle input, and add somewhat of an artificial weight to the electric steering rack that feels more connected and sharper than many BMWs from just a few years ago.
Overall, the performance of the BMW M440i Gran Coupe is surprisingly more elevated and magically hides its 4,169-pound curb weight. Apart from the ridiculously looking front grille and unique “Gran Coupe” styling, this BMW M440i Gran Coupe feels as if it has returned to some of BMW’s year 2000s-roots.
Inside of the new 2022 BMW M440i Gran Coupe is a familiar space just as you expect in modern BMWs. The only difference here is the rear seating area’s headroom (36.6-inches) is about an inch shorter than the 3 Series’ but the rear hatch of the 4 Series Gran Coupe touts almost just as much room as the 3 Series with the 4 Series Gran Coupe hatchback having just one cubic foot less (12 cubic feet with rear seatbacks upright), but it is more accessible friendly with its large opening and power liftgate.
The rear seats are also unique with their shortened-height headrests to open up more viewable space for looking out the smaller-view space of the rear hatch window. The front heated seats are comfy with just the right amount of bolstering for such a vehicle. My one complaint with the M440i Gran Coupe is its smaller door opening for somewhat of a difficult ingress and egress when you are over 6-feet tall such as myself. I found my head hitting the A-pillar a few times too many when getting in the 4 Series Gran Coupe. Though, once getting in, there was enough headroom to clear the power sunroof and its power sunshade provided I lowered the driver’s seat.
The expected safety tech was equipped on my M440i Gran Coupe test vehicle, including a surround 3D view camera system, adaptive cruise control with the optional extended traffic jam assist and active driving assistant pro system, lane departure warning/mitigation, active guard forward collision warning/emergency braking, and active blind-spot detection.
BMW has continued a welcomed tradition of Gran Coupe vehicles in the new M440i Gran Coupe, and the highlight of my time remains to be the enjoyable driving experience that delicately blends sport and luxury. Where things start to get a little interesting is the pricing where the 2022 BMW M440i Gran Coupe starts at 58,200 but quickly rises with just a few option packages. My nicely equipped but not loaded M440i Gran Coupe test vehicle came out to $69,570, which includes a $995 destination charge, Drivers Assistance Package, Premium Package, Cooling & HP Tire Package, Tanzanite Blue II Metallic paint option, Cognac Vernasca Leather interior, Parking Assistance Package, and an upgraded Harmon Kardon sound system.
