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BMW 4 Series vs KTM X-Bow

What's the difference?

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BMW 4 Series
BMW 4 Series

$59,999 - $99,988

2022 price

KTM X-Bow
KTM X-Bow

2018 price

Summary

2022 BMW 4 Series
2018 KTM X-Bow
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 6, 3.0L

Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded Petrol

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Fuel Efficiency
7.8L/100km (combined)

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Seating
4

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Dislikes
  • Slender door handles
  • Low roof for ingress/egress
  • Overly keen 'Lane Departure Warning'

  • Even a light sprinkling of rain will leave you in despair
  • Safety kit non-existent
  • An expensive toy
2022 BMW 4 Series Summary

Without a whole lot of fanfare BMW has slipped yet another model into its Australian line-up.

Sitting alongside existing coupe and convertible variants, the new 4 Series Gran Coupe follows the template established by the previous gen version. 

A sports luxury four-door with a sleek, fastback twist, it provides a more adventurous alternative to its close 3 Series cousin. 

Offered in three grades, this is the M440i xDrive, the 3.0-litre, six-cylinder, all-wheel drive 4 Series Gran Coupe flagship. 

It competes with premium all-wheel drive four-doors like Audi’s S5 Sportback, the Jaguar XF P300 R-Dynamic HSE, and the Mercedes-AMG C 43.  

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2018 KTM X-Bow Summary

I know what you're thinking: "How is this thing legal?" And to be honest, somewhere between a rock flung from the tyre of a passing car colliding with my forehead like it had been fired from a pistol, and the pouring rain lashing my exposed face like a damp cat-o'-nine-tails, I'd begun wondering the same thing.

The answer is barely. The product of a years-long fight to overcome our import rules, this madhouse KTM X-Bow R is now finally free to roam Australian roads and racetracks - though, with sales capped at 25 per year to comply with the Specialist Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme.

The price? A slightly eye-watering $169,990. That's quite a lot, and places the X-Bow R miles above its closest lightweight, carbon fibre-tubbed competitor, the Alfa Romeo 4C ($89,000).

But then, the KTM X-Bow R is unlike anything else on the road today. Part super bike, part open-wheeler and all mobile madness, the 'Crossbow' is fast, furious and completely insane.

Expect no doors, no windscreen, no roof. On-board entertainment is limited to the turbo whistling behind your head, the car's standard safety list is as barren as the interior and the climate control is dependent on the temperature of the wind that's smashing into your exposed face.

And we couldn't wait to take it for a spin.

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Deep dive comparison

2022 BMW 4 Series 2018 KTM X-Bow

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