Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Gran Coupé

MANILA, Philippines - Asian Carmakers Corporation (ACC), the official importer and distributor of BMW in the Philippines, has taken the wraps off its first-ever four-door 4 Series Gran Coupé.

Wait, you ask, did I just describe a coupe as having four doors? Yes, and for those who are still getting used to BMW’s new nomenclature of odd-numbered series (1, 3, 5, and 7 Series) as four-door sedans or hatches and the new even-numbered series (2, 4, 6 Series) as coupes, a four-door “coupe” with the 4-Series designation might come as a shock.

Well, it’s no shock if you follow BMW’s rationale of defining coupes not by the number of doors but by the body style or design.

And BMW has certainly designed the 4 Series Gran Coupe to look like, well, a coupe (which, to the uninitiated, is French for two doors). The first four-door coupé in the premium midsize segment, the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé combines the sleek look of a sport coupe with the functionality provided by four doors. It is the latest model to join the BMW 4 Series range, along with the BMW 4 Series Sport Coupé—which was launched last February and which is the actual 4 Series model with just two doors. Get it now?

“We are very excited to kick off the second half of 2014 with the launch of the newest model to join the BMW family: the first-ever BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe.” said Maricar Parco, ACC president “This is a testament to BMW’s commitment, as the leader in the Philippine automotive premium segment, to continuously innovate our products to provide the market with JOY that is distinctly, unmistakably BMW.”

An industry leader in the Philippine luxury market for 11 years, BMW continues to dominate the segment with a 36 percent market share for the first half of 2014. In addition to the launch of the new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé, ACC also revealed the latest versions of its popular executive models – the BMW 5 Series Sedan and the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo. Available in both 2.0-liter and 3.0-liter displacements of its award-winning BMW TwinPower Turbo diesel engines, the new BMW 5 Series now comes in two design characters lines: Modern and Luxury, each offering a distinct set of design features.

“BMW aims to maintain its leadership in the market with the introduction of a series of new innovations that is sure to make this the most exciting year for the brand yet,” adds Parco.

The new 4 Series Gran Coupé sports BMW’s iconic double-kidney grille, quad round headlights, and C-pillar dogleg kink. The new Gran Coupé shares the same dimensions with its two-door counterpart, but with a roof that is 112mm longer. Rare among cars with four doors is its use of frameless windows for all four doors.

The new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé is available in Sport and Luxury lines, highlighting different aesthetic features deigned to suit one’s preference. The Sport line emphasizes the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé’s aggressive character, with high-gloss black exterior elements such as the front and rear bumpers, kidney grille, and air breather. 19” light alloy Star-Spoke wheels further highlight the line’s sporty appeal as do leather sport seats and an interior panel with coral red or high-gloss black highlight trim.

The Luxury line presents a more sophisticated look with exterior elements finished in high-gloss chrome such as the front bumper, kidney grille, rear bumper, air breather and side-window frames. Further adding to the elegant ambiance of the Luxury line are the 19” light alloy multi-spoke wheels and leather upholstery with fine wood burled walnut interior trim finished with aluminum highlights.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe boasts of a 4+1 seating configuration. The 40:20:40 split folding backrest of the rear seats ensures added flexibility and provides more ease and comfort when loading and unloading luggage. The larger trunk boasts a best-in-class maximum volume of 1,300 liters.

The first-ever BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé is offered in the 420d trim. The 2.0-Liter four-cylinder diesel engine is known for its smoothness, torque and outstanding efficiency. Coupled with an 8-speed steptronic Sport automatic transmission, it delivers 184 hp and sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in only 7.5 seconds. The ultramodern engine features the latest BMW TwinPower Turbo technology, combining impressive drivability and dynamics with very low fuel consumption and emissions.

Other features include BMW ConnectedDrive Technology, which showcases a unique combination of driver assistance systems and integrated connectivity. BMW’s much-copied iDrive Controller with direct select buttons and a 6.5” LCD screen has been at the forefront of onboard computer technology and sets the benchmark for vehicle safety, comfort, and infotainment.