BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe revealed

BMW was just getting set to unveil their new 4 Series Gran Coupe over the weekend, but were beaten to the reveal by images of the new car leaking online. However the full set of images and some details of the new 'four-door coupe' followed pretty swiftly.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe is based on the same platform as the 4 Series coupe and convertible and will join them later this year adding some extra sports flair to the line-up.

The images show a lower-slung stance and sleeker profile, with the extended and steeply raked rear roofline echoing coupe styling while still offering a semblance of four-door practicality -- although the side views suggest that tall people will have to duck if sentenced to the rear seat. BMW says the boot space is 480 litres -- 35 litres more than the coupe.

The drivetrain line-up largely follows the coupe, meaning the entry point for us is likely to be a 420i with a 135kW/270Nm turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol four-cylinder. Also in the petrol line-up are a 428i with a 180kW/350Nm turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder and a 435i with a 225kW/400Nm turbocharged six-cylinder petrol.

Turbodiesel versions are a 420d with a 135kW/380Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder and a 418d (not available here in the coupe) with 105kW four-cylinder.

Echoing the price positioning of its bigger sibling, the 6 Series Gran Coupe, expect prices for each variant to slot in between that of related coupe and convertible, meaning a start price of somewhere around $75,000 if the range kicks off with a 420i (which doesn't get a convertible version here) or around $80,000 if the Australian entry level follows the 4 Series convertible in opening with the 420d.

BMW has also released details of optional all-wheel drive versions for the 428i and 420d, both of which will be offered with the brand's xDrive system -- although there is no confirmation yet they will arrive here with the rest of the Gran Coupes, expected to hit later this year.

“We’re looking at the 4 Series Gran Coupe arriving just after mid-year, early in the third quarter,” BMW Australia spokeswoman Lenore Fletcher says, confirming that we’re unlikely to see the 418d lower level diesel here.

“We think we’ll see a similar drivetrain line-up to the coupe, opening with the 420i. What we do look at is that we like to offer quite a lot of variety, but also need to be conscious of the complexity of product range. So it will certainly closely shadow the 4 coupe, which has been received extraordinarily well by the media and public.

“What we’re doing at the moment is finalising pricing and specification -- which we’ll be announcing later this month – and we think people will be pleasantly surprised by the prices and the amount of spec for the Gran Coupe.”

Watch the desktop version of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe video here.