5:48 am, April 14, 2014
BMW shows its mettle with the hard roof on the 4 Series Convertible.
What is it?
There was once a time when life was quite straightforward at BMW. When it came to convertibles, the 3 Series was just a drop-top version of the perennial 3 Series saloon. But now times have changed, and in a bid to attract more customers BMW has created a whole new model range, among which is the 4 Series Convertible, very much an offering in its own right. Lower, wider and longer than the 3 Series drop-top it replaces, it has a folding metal roof that can be raised or lowered in just 20 seconds.
What’s under the bonnet? The range consists of two petrol engines and one diesel choice. The 435i we tested leads the line-up with its straight-six 3.0-litre petrol lump, which develops 306bhp. The car can sprint from zero to 60mph in just 5.4 seconds, on the way to an electronically-limited 155mph. It’s quick all right – and hardly breaks a sweat even when pushed hard in the most demanding of environments. The 428i variant, equipped with a two-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged engine, produces as much as 245bhp with peak torque of 350Nm. But it’s the diesel choice, the 420d, which is likely to be the best-seller.
What’s the spec like?
The level of standard equipment is very high. This is a car that is very comprehensively specced, with Xenon headlights, heated leather seats, front and rear parking sensors as standard plus plenty of other goodies. The standard Se trim level can be built upon with the Sport, Modern, Luxury and M Sport trims.
What’s it like to drive?
Assured and accomplished, it’s a car that’s a pleasure to pilot – comfortable, capable and classy. It doesn’t matter whether the top is up or down, BMW claims to have created a vehicle that provides an exhilarating sense of air and light – and it’s hard to disagree. The car feels most at home as a cruiser, but perhaps we arrived at that conclusion because we were driving the other car featured on these pages, the sensational 2 Series Coupe, on similar roads in the mountains of southern Spain.
What do the press think?
Car Magazine said: ‘There’s excellent refinement with the roof up, with just a tad of buffeting around the A-pillars, and a sonorous, sweet note from the straight six when you nail it.’
What do we think?
In its first full year on sale, BMW expects to sell around 5,300 4 Series Convertibles and that’s a target that is very achievable. We were very impressed with the car. It’s sporty, sumptuous and supremely well put together.
