BMW 420d Review: The Big One
The BMW 4 Series is an important car in the BMW line-up. It’s the central piece in the BMW line-up. If you think of a BMW, you think of a sleek, sexy 3-door coupe. The latest 4-Series has surely made a statement so let’s find out if the recipe still holds up.
We’ve found ourselves in this 420d, a more subtle approach to optioning a car but still with an exciting touch. More on that later.
The new 4 series has created quite the stir in terms of design, most notably the change of design at the front. BMW wanted to visually differ the 4 series from its sedan sibling, the 3 series. This difference is achieved by introducing new sleek head- and taillights and most notably, the larger grille.
In comparison to the previous generation, the front grille now has this honeycomb style fill and stretches the full height of the front bumper. It’s a big and controversial piece of design but to me it’s not grille design that bothers me. It’s the hideous chrome surround around the grille on a black car that’s an especially sore eye when the sun reflects into your eyes.
Rant aside, the rest of the 4 Series design is spot on, even without an M Sport pack it’s a good looking car. Especially the sloping roof line that translates into this small lip on the back of the trunk looks stunning. The 4 series shapes are definitely not a boring piece of design that tries to have as little lines in the design as possible, it’s an outspoken whole.
Clean diesel
While diesel has become less popular over the last few years, this one is still one you should definitely consider. The 2.0L four cylinder diesel produces 190 hp and 400 Nm coming from the 2 stage turbocharging. Alongside the diesel engine there is a small 48V starter generator providing an extra 11 hp. The battery gets charged under braking and the generator can help reduce consumption under acceleration or when coasting (quickly turning off the engine altogether and back on in an instant). Making this an extremely efficient engine in a car of this size and weight. During the test the BMW 420d managed to do an impressive 4.6 L/100 km on the highway and the average fuel consumption stayed below 6 L/100 km all week.
It’s very quiet and nifty enough as a daily to get out of tighter spots easily but still doesn't break the bank every time you stop at the pump. Also thanks to that 48V MHEV addition the 420d manages to achieve an impressive 103 g of CO2 per kilometer, which will definitely make a difference when having to pay taxes.
Diesel hasn’t been that popular since a certain scandal with another certain German manufacturer but that doesn’t mean you should disregard this diesel BMW.
As far as driving goes, the 420d sends its power through the rear wheels only. A signature BMW is marked by its supreme chassis and the new G22 4-Series is no exception. It’s a very stiff chassis and corners flat but it’s still plenty comfortable on a day to day basis. It’s a pleasant but not a particularly dynamic driving car and that’s probably down to the fact that it was lacking the M hardware options to sharpen up the driving. Apart from that, it’s everything a daily needs to be, one that likes to eat up the kilometers with ease.
It’s what’s inside that matters
Whilst looking at the outside hurts from some angles due that awful chrome surround, step inside and you’re in a different world. Red leather works fantastic in combination with that subtle black exterior. Upholstery used in the interior is made of proper high quality materials and the steering wheel really enhances that feeling even more.
As with its predecessor, the overall design of the cockpit is still very driver focused. There’s a digital dashboard that is nice and bright but it still lacks the functionality I’d want. That’s due to this layout used by BMW. A map in the center is nice, but you should be able to put more different functions in the center of the dashboard.
The infotainment is controllable via the touchscreen or the center rotating knob which helps to keep your eyes on the road. In times where everything becomes more and more touch, I did find myself reaching for the rotating knob faster whilst driving than aiming my finger to a place on the screen. So thank you BMW, for still giving the option to physically navigate through the infotainment system.
In terms of practicality, there’s always a sacrifice to be made when buying a coupe like the BMW 4 series. Legroom in the back is surprisingly good but unsurprisingly the headroom isn't. Good enough for kids, not for full size adults. Upfront there’s plenty of space however.
Hit or miss?
The new 4-Series brings on mixed emotions from a lot of people about the looks but that doesn’t mean the rest of the car should be disregarded. Starting at 47.450 €, the 4-Series doesn’t come cheap compared to its german competitors. This particular example is priced at 57.710 and personally, it’s still missing a few bits to complete the experience for me. Other than that it’s a great daily driver for someone looking for a sleek but subtle car (if you remove that chrome surround). Definitely do consider this 420d, I’m sure it won’t disappoint you. It’s up with one of my favourite daily drivetrains that I’ve driven.
