BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe axed in Australia, electric i4 to continue
Today at 07:00 PM
The four-door variant of the two-door version of BMW’s 3 Series sedan has been discontinued in petrol form, but the electric i4 will remain on sale as its popularity grows.
The BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe petrol-powered liftback has been culled from the Australian range, as it is outsold more than seven to one by its electric i4 sibling.
The 4 SeriesGran Coupe is the four-door liftback version of the 4 Series coupe – itself the two-door version of BMW’s long-running 3 Series sedan – and is now in its second generation.
After the entry-level 420i variant was dropped in late 2023, production of the remaining 430i and M440i xDrive grades for Australia ceased earlier this year, BMW has confirmed.
“The high volume of new BMW models introduced to the local market prompts us to constantly assess our product portfolio in line with customer demand and our commitment to offering products that suit individual needs,” a BMW Australia spokesperson said in a written statement.
“This has led us to restructure the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé line-up.
“We continue to offer an array of solutions for our customers, including the fully electric i4, which features a Gran Coupé body style.
“The eDrive 35 variant is priced at $85,900, exempting it from both Luxury Car Tax (LCT) for fuel efficient vehicles and Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) for fleet operators.”
The writing now seems to have been on the wall for the 4 Series Gran Coupe earlier this year, when an updated model revealed in Europe (below) was not immediately confirmed for local showrooms.
Over the first nine months of 2024, BMW reported 224 examples of the 4 Series Gran Coupe as sold locally – down 68.5 per cent on the same period the year prior, when 711 deliveries were published.
Prices started from $93,700 plus on-road costs for the auto-only 430i, compared to $89,900 for an equivalent 330i.
A model range comprised of just two variants prior to the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s axing compares to an incredible 26 at launch a decade ago, across four engines (420d, 420i, 428i and 435i), up to four trim lines, and a choice of manual or automatic transmissions on all grades.
Adjusted for inflation, a 4 Series Gran Coupe in 2014 equivalent to 2024’s base model – the 428i M Sport automatic – was priced from $83,000 plus on-road costs when new, or $109,020 when adjusted for inflation.
The petrol Gran Coupe was outsold more than seven to one by its electric i4 sibling over the first nine months of 2024, reporting 1592 deliveries over the period, up 842 per cent on the year prior.
Much of that growth has been led by the new eDrive 35 variant, which accounted for 80 per cent of sales over the period, and almost single-handedly outsold the entire Polestar 2 range (1280 vs 1288 deliveries).
In the same timeframe, 2052 examples of the more conventional 3 Series sedan and wagon were reported as sold.
Since its June 2014 introduction, 5798 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupes have been reported as sold in Australia, compared to 35,306 examples of the 3 Series line-up.
European reports suggest there will not be another generation of the petrol 4 Series Gran Coupe, but the electric model is tipped to be replaced by an all-new i4 on BMW’s Neue Klasse battery-powered vehicle platform in 2028.
The post BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe axed in Australia, electric i4 to continue appeared first on Drive.
