BMW M440i Gran Coupe 2022 Review

The 2022 BMW M440i Gran Coupe is like the go-to club in the golf bag.

It’s fit for any occasion, with enough power to get you out of trouble and a high level of finish and execution.

Amid BMW’s latest generation of models, many of them now electrified, the flagship 4 Series Gran Coupe shines brighter than ever.

The 2022 BMW M440i xDrive Gran Coupe tops an overhauled 4 Series Gran Coupe range in Australia.

Sitting one rung below dedicated BMW M3 and M4 performance models, the M440i also takes a big circa-$15,000 hike in price for MY22, to $118,900 plus on-road costs.

The jump correlates with moderate pricing increases across the updated BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe range (now from $75,900 plus ORCs) and coincides in this application with fresh all-wheel drive underpinnings and more standard equipment.

It also compares with an incoming onslaught of electrified models from BMW, like the equivalent BMW i4 M50 that sits precariously within reach of this combustion counterpart.

Dimensionally, the second-generation 4GC is longer, wider and taller than the original, and the Bavarian car-maker is promising better handling, improved design and a lift in the quality of interior trim materials.

Standard equipment on the flagship M440i xDrive includes 19-inch Cerium Grey M alloys, BMW Laserlight, an M Sport differential, electric glass roof and a premium Harman Kardon sound system.

Infotainment is now handled via a 10.25-inch centre touch-screen display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus digital radio, matched by a separate 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.

Armed with a five-star ANCAP safety rating, the M440i xDrive gets BMW’s newer Driving Assistant Professional safety pack, which brings semi-autonomous driving functionality including a stop-and-go feature for the adaptive cruise control, steering and lane control assistant, front cross traffic alert and more.

Essentially, it means the vehicle can take charge of steering, accelerating and braking in heavy traffic.

Externally, the M440i is also differentiated by a range of Cerium Grey touches, including on the kidney grille and mirror caps, as well as the elongated rectangular exhaust tips. Like all refreshed 4 Series models, there are new flush-fitting door handles.

Disappointingly, BMW persists with a sub-par three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty in Australia while many of its rivals have upgraded to five-year terms.

On the servicing front, BMW Australia says the first five years/80,000km will set owners back $1800 using ‘condition-based’ intervals that equate to roughly every 12 months/15,000km.

The big talking point for the 2022 BMW M440i Gran Coupe – aside from its larger size and new tech – is what drives it.

BMW’s legendary 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine resides in the engine bay, deploying 285kW and 500Nm (up 45kW and 50Nm on before) via an eight-speed Steptronic Sport automatic transmission with shift paddles.

The six-pot now shuffles drive to all four wheels, with an M Sport differential on the rear axle.

It also has a 48-volt mild-hybrid system to give it an extra 8kW of boost to purportedly fill in any turbo or torque holes.

Those changes in turn impose a weight penalty, with the flagship 4 Series GC now tipping the scales at more than 1800kg.

Riding on a chassis that uses a five-link rear suspension and a MacPherson strut front-end, the M440i xDrive Gran Coupe employs an Adaptive M suspension system that continuously adjusts the electronically controlled dampers, with the force metered at each wheel.

There’s a new ‘adaptive’ setting that automatically adjusts to suit each driver’s style, and it remembers those preferences and patterns.

What’s more, there’s also a new adaptive electric power steering system, with variable assistance and ratio, plus a four-piston calliper for the front-end’s brake discs.

All 4 Series Gran Coupe models are built under a flexible manufacturing process at BMW’s Munich plant on the same line as the electric 2022 BMW i4, which we recently tested in entry form.

There are plenty of headline features with the 2022 BMW M440i Gran Coupe.

But for us, it’s the little one per cent details that truly define this consummate performance car, right down to the seating position.

That’s right, from the moment we step into the driver’s seat, the M440i xDrive enamours with a low-slung, well-bolstered and unobscured outlook perfectly within reach of the key controls.

As a motoring writer, your correspondent gets to sample a huge variety of new vehicles each year – and the M440i has one of the best seating positions in recent memory.

Elsewhere, BMW’s efforts in elevating the cabin ambience are well and truly noted.

Quality furnishings adorn the contact points, broken up by ambient lighting and metallic inlays.

Storage is also well considered thanks to cavernous door pockets and a good amount of incidental cubbies. Likewise, there is one USB port and wireless phone charger up front, as well as an additional two USB-C ports in the rear, plus a flip-down arm rest with two cup holders.

The rear seat space is big enough for a couple of adults or little ones alike, with ISOFIX attachment points on the outbound pews.

Further back, the Gran Coupe’s liftback design ensures an excellent 470-litre space that is accessed via a generous opening.

That brings us to drive impressions, which are merely an extension of the brief.

Quite simply, the BMW M440i xDrive Gran Coupe bears all the hallmark traits of a classic Bimmer inline six.

The engine itself is central to the fun factor; in regular conveyance it offers smooth, silky passage and a sociable amount of burble and noise.

Peak torque materialises on a band of revs between 1900-5500rpm, while the torque-converter automatic is devoid of low-speed hesitation and offers crisp, well-timed shifts.

Ask a little more from the drivetrain and it responds commendably. The engine offers excellent cadence across the rev range, howling its way to 6500rpm and officially dispatching 0-100km/h in 4.7sec.

The sound, the theatre and the visceral nature of the inline six clearly conveys another side to the circa-1800kg Gran Coupe, with all-wheel drive grip and a well-honed electronics suite endowing it with excellent cross-country characteristics.

A subtly synthesised soundtrack is best enjoyed in Sport mode, with crackle on the overrun and a riotous climb to redline that encapsulates everything that is great about combustion.

Also enamouring is the inherent rear-drive feel of the M440i. All-wheel drive it may be, but the limited-slip rear differential and front-to-rear balance is such that you feel as though you can break the rear Pirelli P Zero tyres free at a moment’s notice.

Ultimately, there is little temptation to really exploit the power on offer – because the M440i isn’t really that sort of car.

This feels more like a polished performer, no doubt, rather than an avid corner carver.

Handling-wise, the M440i balances its firepower with a composed and balanced experience. Its steering isn’t as sharp as the hotter BMW M3 or M4 duo – despite fitment of a fat steering wheel in this instance – and dynamism is at times tempered by its kerb mass.

Moreover, the M440i conveys key happenings underneath cleanly and with a very slightly cushioned buffer.

It means the cabin is quieter and less chaotic than other M-badged offerings, and will potentially make the M440i an easier proposition to live with for those who aren’t absolutely focused on performance.

Ride comfort is inherently polished, too. The M440i relays bumps in the road accordingly, but is largely devoid of crashing – just an occasional thud over harsher obstacles.

The biggest dynamic gripe is a persistent creaking over low-speed obstacles in our test car.

Although its torque-converter gearbox isn’t as sharp as some enthusiasts may demand, the truth is that is more than makes up for it with strong low-speed amenity and outright comfort.

As for all-important fuel use, we averaged 10.1L/100km in a mix of conditions over a circa-600km trip.

The 2022 BMW M440i xDrive Gran Coupe is one of the most memorable performance offerings in recent memory.

Although not as visceral or hard-hitting as the superlative M3, the 4 Series Gran Coupe offers a viable everyday alternative with its spatial layout and redeeming ride on everyday Australian road surfaces.

The fact you can still get one with an inline turbo-petrol six sweetens the deal, though how long that remains the case is the point. Clearly, it won’t be around forever.

How much does the 2022 BMW M440i xDrive Gran Coupe cost?
Price: $118,900 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 285kW/500Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 8.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 187g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2019)