BMW 4 Series 2020: spy shots, specs, pricing and release

Car buyers on the hunt for a sleeker, two-door version of BMW’s new 3 Series are in luck, as the all-new 4 Series coupe has been spied testing in Germany.

A heavily camouflaged 4 Series prototype was snapped being thrown around Germany’s 12.9-mile Nurburgring circuit.

The sporty two-door model, which shares its underpinnings with the 3 Series saloon, will also spawn a supercar-baiting M4 version next year, with early rumours hinting that the car will move over to a four-wheel drive system as opposed to the old model’s rear-wheel drive set-up.

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All will be revealed when the covers come off the 4 Series next year. In the meantime, here’s what we know about the coupe:

When will it come out?

BMW is likely to unveil the car in early 2020, which will be swiftly followed by the order books opening.

However, BMW may preview the car at the Frankfurt Motor Show, which runs from 12 to 22 September, given that the event is the largest of its kind in Germany, says Auto Express.

How much will it cost?

Buyers will have to wait a little longer for official pricing figures to be announced.

The current 4 Series carries a price tag of £33,690, and it’s unlikely the new model will stray too far from that figure.

What will it look like?

As the 4 Series is based on the same underpinnings as the 3 Series, the new coupe is expected to carry some elements of 3’s design.

But, as noted by Evo, the development car snapped at the Nurburgring appears to incorporate some elements from BMW’s range-topping 8 Series coupe. For instance, the “lighting graphics” are similar to those on the 8 Series, as is the thinner profile of the headlights.

The prototype also bears a pair of large exhaust outlets and sporty wheels, suggesting that the model being tested is the performance-focused 440i version, the magazine says.

“The rest of the package will be as per the standard 3-series Saloon, featuring the same interior architecture, detailing and infotainment system”, adds Evo.

What engines will be available?

With the 4 Series being pitched as a sportier alternative to the 3 Series, only the four-door’s “more powerful engines” will be carried over to the new coupe, Auto Express predicts.

Base-spec cars should get “revised versions” of the saloon’s four-cylinder petrol and diesel motors, which are badged as 420i and 420d respectively, the magazine says. The next model is a more powerful 430i petrol car, followed by the six-cylinder 430d and 440i.

At the very top of the range - by quite some distance - will be the new M4. The performance car will feature “a powered-up version” of the firm’s new twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine, delivering 503bhp and 442lb-ft of torque, according to Autocar.

Most models will come with rear-wheel drive systems and BMW’s xDrive four-wheel drive as an optional extra, the magazine says. However, four-wheel drive will come as standard on the 440i, also known as the M440, and new M4.