BMW M440i xDrive Coupé (2024): Sporty and elegant Bavarian

And if you’re going to have a 4 Series – whether it’s a coupe, convertible or Gran Coupe – then you shouldn’t waste a thought on whether it could be one of the smaller four-cylinder models that makes you cheer. It won’t be, and if you’re not a diesel fan, your attention will fall much more quickly than you’d expect on the 440, which the marketing department at Munich’s Petuelring has prefixed with the bold M to give it a hint of Garching’s home power on its journeys.

The 4.77-meter-long BMW M440i xDrive Coupé has no need to fool its driver into believing it has nebulous genes from Garching-based M GmbH, because the overall package that the two-door car offers is an impressive symbiosis of elegance, sportiness, everyday utility and family car – provided that the family consists of only two people, because the two rear seats are only suitable for children hungry for movement, who can for once do without their own doors, due to the climbing action into the second row.

The 4 Series Coupé in its all-wheel drive sports version is ideal for well-off couples who can do without the luxurious 8 Series brother and are looking for a vehicle that is just perfect for everyday use – long journeys are very welcome, and the next winter holiday is no exception.

BMW and its coupes – this has been a great passion for more than five decades.

Image: BMW

As excellent as the chassis is with its electronic damper control, which adjusts sensitively to the driver’s instructions, and its precise steering is downright impressive, it is the coordination of the engine and transmission that makes you cheer on every trip. The sonorous sound of the inline six-cylinder shows you with every burst of gas that opting for one of the four-cylinder turbos, which are always happy to rev, would have been an unforgivable mistake. And it is not just the driving performance that makes the driver, with leather seats and a grippy steering wheel in his hands, rejoice.

The familiar 275 kW / 374 hp are now supported by a mild hybrid system, which with its 8 kW / 11 hp ensures lower consumption and quick sprints. However, the majority of the dynamic excitement comes from the 500 Nm of maximum torque, which is available in a wide range between 1,900 and 5,000 rpm and makes it easier than ever to move the coupe, which weighs around 1.8 tons, with a sharp throttle response.

The M440 Coupé costs at least 76,000 euros.

Image: BMW

The chassis with double-joint tension strut axle with hydraulically dampened tension strut bearings at the front and the familiar five-link construction at the rear were upgraded again during the model update. The difference for the better can be felt in a direct comparison, which is because it was already an excellent performance before, which is underlined by powerful brakes and driving programs that are now also noticeably different.

The inline six-cylinder engine is impressively directly interlocked with the eight-speed automatic transmission, which works in the background and distributes the ample engine power variably to both drive axles, to ensure the driving pleasure proclaimed by BMW on every trip. The M440, which costs at least 76,000 euros, offers precisely this casual comfort gain that is lacking in everyday life with the incredibly snappy BMW M4 with its 480 to 550 hp. Thanks to the comfort features that have climbed up over the years, even in the four-seater, you have the feeling of sitting in a luxury coupe.

The overall impression of the interior is excellent.

Image: BMW

In terms of noise comfort alone, the big brother offers an extra boost that can be felt and experienced. The workmanship is top-notch, the operation is no longer as easy as it once was, although the two-door model, as the flagship model in Dingolfing, almost always obeys verbal commands. The fact that the displays for instruments and navigation in a newly redesigned luxury coupe in the 80,000 euro league could be a little larger and the black frame surrounding them is a few years too late can hardly spoil the excellent overall impression inside.

0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds is of much less importance than the regulated top speed of 250 km/h. Anyone who wants a good image-enhancing upgrade here will have to switch to the M camp and be aware that the sports outfit can sometimes be a problem in everyday life. For so much power and such great everyday use, the standard consumption of 7.7 liters of premium gasoline per 100 kilometers is just as acceptable as the trunk volume of 440 liters behind the electrically opening tailgate.