2021 BMW 4 Series: Yes, That's How It's Going to Look

Future Cars: A new, quick coupe lives behind that giant, fat-lipped grille.

Before you ask, yes, BMW is really going with that grille. The new 4 Series is going to be polarizing, and that's the point.

At least in terms of design. The elephantine kidneys, previewed by the Concept 4, are there to get you talking. Coupes and convertibles are shrinking segments, so BMW needs to get your attention. While we still expect BMW to offer a 4 Series coupe and convertible, the 4 Series Gran Coupe (basically, a sedan with a fast roof) will continue to be the most popular.

Behind the schnoz, the 4 Series will be nearly identical mechanically to the recently released 3 Series. For the U.S. market, that means turbocharged four- and six-cylinder inline engines backed by an eight-speed automatic. Rear drive will continue to be standard, with all-wheel drive optional. The manual transmission is all but certainly dead—at least for U.S. buyers.

Down the line, you can be sure there will be an M4, likely to be offered in all three body styles. Under the hood we expect to see a variant of the new twin-turbo inline-six in the new (and heavier) X3 M and X4 M SUVs. We still expect the Ms to offer a rear-drive version, although M's boss confirmed a performance all-wheel-drive system similar to that from the M5 will be employed in both the M3 and M4.

Although it'll be a while before the M cars are ready, we expect to see the standard 4 Series late this year. In such competitive segments, we don't expect the pricing to change much, so look for a starting price around $45,000.