So, you are in your mid-twenties or early thirties, a successful person with a good career, earning a high income, and you're now in a position to be able to enjoy the rewards of your success.
BMW 4 Series Coupe Luxury personified
Top of the list will be the car that you drive. Will it reflect your status? How will it be perceived? Is it exclusive? Is it built to exacting standards? Will it boost your self-esteem? Will you feel passionate about it? So, let’s see how the BMW’s 420 series model 420d XDrive will score against this criteria.
With BMW having a reputation for producing top quality, mid-sized coupes- they were an obvious choice. Originally based on the 3 Series saloon, the 3 Series Coupe was superseded in 2013 by the 4 Series and as such, shook off its roots to go its own way.
Now in second-generation form, following a revamp, the 4 series has taken a huge stride forward both technically and visually. Even though the new nose does divide opinion, it doesn't here in the Female First offices- we love it.
So, when the team at BMW heard we were producing a feature on luxurious aspirational motoring, they volunteered one Series 4 Coupe’s for us to work with, none other the BMW 420d XDrive.
So here is what we found:
Kerb Appeal: The 420d XDrive has a sleek powerful aura, it is an attention demanding coupe that will not fade into the background. A handsome, stylish, and contemporary looking premium coupe oozing with class.
The 420d will make you rethink getting that SUV. Yes there is a place for the functional off road premium motor, but will it grab the plaudits and the attention of a sports Coupe.
Handling: The Coupe with its light, rigid bodyshell is an absolute pleasure to drive, it leaves the driver feeling connected to the road giving what can be described as a taut but comfortable drive. The adaptive sports suspension and the electronically controlled M Sport differential keeps weight distribution perfectly balanced 50:50. By including firmer dampers and brakes makes the 420 more responsive when cornering allowing you to ‘eek’ out that last piece of performance.
Inside: This is where BMW score highly. The cabin of the 4 Series is a great space in which to spend time, fitted with the latest iDrive 7.0, a collection of digital instruments so clear to see – think 5k TV clarity, with most configurable.
Driving position is excellent bringing all the major controls into the drivers reach. While the driver is seated in a low position, this does not impact on forward visibility and the parking cameras display on the central infotainment screen. Then there is cutting edge voice control with all commands input via 'hey BMW' followed by your command, although it does take a bit of getting used to.
There is plenty of leg room for front seat passengers, a good size glove box and space in the centre arm rests provide storage and although the boot is not overly large the back seats can be folded down.
In the rear, passengers get a comfortable amount of legroom and a surprising amount of head room with entering and exiting aided by smart design features, including motorised front seat belts that nicely ‘tuck away’ reappearing when the front seats are correctly positioned.
Infotainment: The 4 Series infotainment system can only be described as ‘cutting edge’ with the centrally placed 10.3-inch display. As we said earlier it’s clear- think 5k clarity, which can be used as a touchscreen or via the iDrive controller positioned between the front seats, which takes away those messy fingerprints all over the screen as well as being a safer option.
There’s the standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, DAB radio, online connected SAT-NAV system as good as, if not better than your smartphone. BMW’s Technology Pack adds top quality Harman Kardon sound system, wireless smartphone charging and a gesture control function.
Safety: The car sports a long list of safety features including autonomous emergency braking and lane departure warning as standard and an optional Driving Assistant Professional pack can steer the car and keep pace with traffic on multi-lane stretches of road.
Conclusion: In our opinion the BMW 4 Series Coupe ticks all the boxes for a luxury car. How it’s perceived, just looking at it and sitting in it, then to drive the car, you cannot find fault with the design, the product, the technology, build quality, and the car's overall luxurious feel. The 4 Series Coupe draws attention bringing in comments such as ‘you must be doing well to have a car like that.' It is exclusive, it is a car we were able to feel passionate about.
We took our BMW 4 Series Coupe on a number of long journeys from the North West to meetings in Humberside, Nottingham and back. One of the main, practical considerations we take into account is arriving at our destination fresh and ready for work and on this score, it delivered regardless of road or weather conditions.
The phrase I often use which sums things up is BMW and the BMW 4 Series Coupe knows how to look after people- its passengers. Finally we can all agree BMW have produced a 4 Series Coupe that answers all the questions. For an aspirational luxury motor, the competition have a lot to live up to- well done BMW!
Tagged in BMW