• Five-door versatility on offer
• Three seats in the back
• Wide opening to the boot

How much space is there?

A five-door body gives the 4 Series Gran Coupe some advantages over both the standard 4 Series Coupe and the 3 Series, too. But first, the similarities. The Gran Coupe’s interior layout is largely the same as that of its siblings. However the five-seat layout is different to the standard coupe’s four-seat arrangement.

The Gran Coupe has a low roof like the two-door, but the addition of rear doors mean access to the back seats is less of a contortion. They’re not the biggest doors, but at least add some versatility that the standard 4 Series Coupe lacks.

Once inside, leg- and shoulder-room are the same as you’ll find in the 4 Series, and similar to what you get in the 3 Series, too. Of course, a lower roof line means that headroom in the Gran Coupe isn’t quite as good as in the 3 Series, but it’s not so tight that occupants will need to slouch.

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Boot space and storage

Adding a tailgate to the 4 Series boosts cargo space and access. There’s a 470-litre boot back there, which is 30 litres up on the two-door model, and only a little down on the 3 Series. Combine this with the wide-opening hatchback tailgate, and that makes the Gran Coupe quite a practical option.

Fold the 40:20:40 split-folding back seats flat, and there’s 1,290 litres of space to make use of. This will be a more versatile area to work with than either the 3 Series or 4 Series Coupe, since there’s no bulkhead and fixed rear window to get in the way of loading larger items. All versions of the 4 Series Gran Coupe come with a power-operated tailgate, too.

The Gran Coupe is narrowly ahead of the A5 Sportback for boot space, since that car has 465 litres of room, and 1,280 litres with its back seats folded. However, the VW Arteon is well ahead of both, with 563 litres to play with in five-seat mode. Really, the choice will be down to the buyer – do you go for a sportier looking model in the shape of a coupe, or compromise with the five-door alternative?

Is it easy to park?

You sit low in the 4 Series Gran Coupe, so the view out won’t be SUV-like in terms of your surroundings – it’s designed to deliver a sportier outlook. However, like the two-door model, since the 4 Series Gran Coupe only comes in high-spec M Sport trims, it is packed with plenty of extras that are designed to help you manoeuvre safely.

Front and rear parking sensors are fitted as standard on every version, while Parking Assistant is included, too. This uses the car’s sensors to help guide you in or out of a space, turning the steering for you while you select forward or reverse gears as you manoeuvre. Parking Assistant Plus is included with the Technology Pack, and adds 360-degree cameras for a bird’s-eye view around the car.

Safety

• Five-star safety score
• Shared with 3 Series
• Active Guard is standard

Since the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe shares so much with the 3 Series, that car’s five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating applies here. The saloon was tested by the safety body in 2019, and it earned high percentage ratings across the board.

There are seven airbags (including a driver’s knee bag) fitted, plus Isofix child seat attachments in the back. While the extra back doors improve access to the rear seats when compared with the coupe, their narrow openings mean it’ll still be a bit of a struggle to get a bulky child seat in.

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A system called Active Guard Plus is fitted as standard on the Gran Coupe. Among its suite of safety features is front collision warning with brake intervention and pedestrian detection (a form of autonomous emergency braking or AEB), plus lane-departure warning.

The Driving Assistant Professional pack is also available on the 4 Series Gran Coupe. This includes equipment such as adaptive cruise control, auto speed limit assist, front cross-traffic alert, city braking, evasion aid, lane assist with side-collision protection and wrong-way warning.