Do you like this new nose treatment from BMW? Has BMW designers lost their edge in providing more stimulating designs like they did before with the BMW E60 sedan? Well, this image of the all new nose of the 2021 BMW 4 Series has been circulating the internet the past few days. The question is this, is this a ‘leaked’ image to gauge the positive interest of BMW enthusiasts or is it an image taken secretly to be shared with the community.
We believe that BMW is moving away completely from its previous ‘corporate nose’ and it is getting mixed responses online. It started with the all new BMW 7 Series and its large intimidating new nose treatment. We were initially not ‘taken’ by the new look when we saw it online. Then at its launch we were also not yet ‘warm’ to the design changes as it was still too forward and intimidating. Then a few months later were given the car to test drive over a weekend and by the second day we warmed up to the new look and even started seeing its influence on other road users. It is attention grabbing and immediately shows a brand new car.
Now, with this new BMW 4 Series nose treatment, we are taking our time to understand its direction and we can understand the almost ‘heart’ shaped delivery of the nose treatment.
BMW’s totally revised design of the air intake and the ‘V’ formation just below the BMW logo on the nose points to the designer’s desire to immediately ‘love’ the look. The number plate housing (which is now sitting on the grille instead of sitting on the bumper) somehow kills the overall look and it seems there is little choice as they cannot move the number pate housing to the left or right like what an Italian car brand does with much success.
So, what will be under the front hood? Possibly a mild-hybrid (48-volt) version of the 4 Series will arrive in 2022 and there could also be a plug-in hybrid version coming. However it will be the regular petrol driven versions that will reach Malaysian showrooms and this will probably be the same engines that we see now in the current 3 Series.
At launch, we can expect a 430i with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder developing 255hp or 259 PS and an impressive 400 Nm of torque. It might be joined by an M440i featuring a turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine with 382hp or 387 PS with 500 Nm of torque for added smiles. More information will be shared as we get it.
