BMW bares all with new 4 Series Convertible

BMW has taken a tin opener to its controversially styled 4 Series coupe and debuted the resulting Convertible.

Due to arrive in Australia in the first quarter of 2021, the new 4 Series Convertible comes with all the same bells and whistles as the coupe, albeit with an infinite amount of headroom.

With the local line-up set to consist of the 420i, 430i and M440i xDrive – and later the confirmed M4 – BMW will be offering a convertible version of every 4 Series available in Australia with pricing and exact equipment levels yet to be detailed.

Regardless, all versions share their powertrains with their respective coupe counterparts, those being a 135kW/300Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder in the 420i, a 190kW/400Nm version of the same engine in the 430i and a 285kW/500Nm 3.0-litre turbocharged inline six in the M440i xDrive.

Again like in the coupes, the four-cylinder variants channel their power to the ground using the rear wheels while top-spec M440i, as the xDrive nomenclature suggests, is all-wheel drive.

Transmission duties across the board are taken care of by an eight-speed automatic.

At 4768 millimetres long, the new convertibles are 128mm longer than their predecessors, while also being 27mm wider (1852mm) and riding on a 41mm-longer wheelbase (2851mm).

As you would expect for a drop-top version, the 4 Series Convertible brandishes all of the same styling cues as the coupe, including that divisive vertical twin kidney grille, albeit minus a roof.

Unlike the previous-generation 4 Series, the new model flaunts a ‘panel bow’ fabric roof said to be 40 per cent lighter than the outgoing folding metal arrangement.

Able to be operated at speeds of up to 50km/h, the new roof takes just 18 seconds to either erect or stow away and thanks to its more compact nature, allows luggage capacity to be increased from 300 to 385 litres.

Under the skin, the new 4 Series Convertible rides on the same M Sport suspension as the coupe albeit with specially tuned lift-related dampers – the M440i xDrive comes with Adaptive M suspension as standard.

The body and chassis meanwhile have been fitted with extra bracing to counteract the inevitable flex caused by not having a solid roof but engineers have been sure to go above and beyond in this regard with the new model said to be four per cent stiffer then the outgoing model.

The whole package then rolls on variant-specific 19-inch alloy wheels.

While full pricing and specifications are yet to be detailed, BMW has at least revealed few key features set to be shared by 4 Series Convertibles around the world, including BMW Connected Package Professional, remote engine start, BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, 12.3-inch fully configurable digital instrument cluster, 10.25-inch infotainment display and over-the-air software updates.

To keep occupants safe, a number of key driver assist features will also come as standard with BMW boasting the new model to have “a far wider selection” than the previous model.

These key features consist of reversing assistant, driving assistant including front collision warning with brake intervention, lane change warning, lane departure warning and speed limit information as well as steering and lane control assistant.