First Drive: 2022 BMW M440i xDrive Gran Coupe Review

Celebrating 50 years in 2022, BMW’s M Sport division has created some of the seminal ‘driver’s cars’ of the last half century, halo models that in all but one case sat atop their respective model ranges (we’ve picked a few of our favourites here). But as performance increased throughout the ranges and goaded on by a horsepower war with rivals Mercedes and Audi, the M-specific models have got ever more extreme and distanced from their lesser brethren. As their focus has increased, these M cars have become less suitable for everyday use and, dare we say it, a bit OTT. Which is where the M440i comes in. Offering a sub-five second 0-62mph time, hatchback practicality and four doors, could this be BMW’s greatest all-rounder?

Shall we tackle the main sticking point head on, as it were? The front end treatment has widely divided opinion ever since the G22 generation debuted. In this office some of us like it, some of us don’t. Most of us would like to move on and talk about the rest of the car. Which is certainly less divisive and on the whole very handsome. 

The Gran Coupe – the proper number of doors for a coupe is another argument we would have go away – has been given significant styling tweaks over its two-door and convertible brethren with a prominent hockey stick vent behind the front wheels, smoother and less aggressive wings and a highlighted Hoffmeister kink. Sitting on the same wheelbase as the two-door cars and only very slightly longer, the four-door manages to pull off the same impression of lithe length.

The M440i is powered, as performance BMWs should be, by a straight-six, in this case the same twin-turbocharged unit used by the M3 and M4 in higher states of tune. Not that it will be found lacking in most instances, achieving with the aid of a 48V mild-hybrid system 374PS (275kW) and a nice round 500NM (369lb ft) of torque. A healthy increase over the outgoing model and not a million miles from the previous generation M4 either although the current range topper now produces in the region of 500PS.

Still that is enough for a 0-62mph in what is probably a conservative BMW estimate of 4.7 seconds and the usual limited top speed of 155mph. Despite the two turbos there is some evidence of lag from standstill at junctions but the eight-speed automatic gearbox does its best to disguise any low down torque holes, changing rapidly and being especially swift to drop down a gear in anticipation with a pre-emptive soft press of the throttle pedal. 

That the M440i will relentlessly fire you down an A-road is a given but its adoption of all-wheel-drive means that it will do it without drama in a wide range of conditions. Wide tyres, a kerb weight of 1,825kg and driven font wheels isn’t the ideal recipe for a chuckable sportscar exactly but this is a BMW, and a rearward torque bias to the AWD and a locking rear diff does create a feeling of agility even if it is some way from the ‘on its toes’ sensation created by the M3 and M4. 

What the M440i does provide in spades is an impression of assuredness and capability in all conditions. This is detracted from somewhat by an overly firm ride, as all UK market models come with M Sport suspension set-ups as standard, and while this allows for superb body control it is unable to disguise poor road conditions. It doesn’t jar but it is always present as is the impression of heft through tighter corners and over crests or through dips.

Taking its cue from the more overtly sporty two-door models the Gran Coupe offers a suitably low-slung driving position with brilliantly comfortable seats and a wide range of adjustability, including a steering wheel with an unusually large amount of reach. The wheel does suffer from the usually overly thick rim and my usual gripe of having the paddles attached to the wheel rather than the column meaning there is nowhere to rest your fingers other than on them. 

With the same wheelbase as the coupe, the rear seat room is similar although there is a centre seatbelt. Legroom is decent and there’s space for toes to tuck in underneath the front seats but headroom is still tight and lanky teenagers will not be happy for long. Bootspace is impressive and the Gran Coupe belies its saloon looks with a handy hatchback.

Its first few generations were frequently derided but BMW’s iDrive was an early pioneer in managing the burgeoning complexities of modern car interfaces. Speaking as a frequent user of a first generation iDrive system, it works well and BMW made the right choice in retaining it through the adoption of touch screen technology. 

The central display is indeed a 10.3-inch touch sensitive interface but the rotary iDrive controller remains the best way to access and navigate menus while on the move without distraction. There are also thankfully hard buttons for the some HVAC functions and, quaintly, a row of numbered buttons for saving and switching between radio stations. 

There is the usual plethora of safety aids, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and the wacky ‘Caring Car’ function. This has two options – Vitalize or Relax – and adjusts the climate control and plays suitably chilling or thrilling muzak respectively. A Technology pack option adds a Harmon Kardon stereo, wireless phone charging and touch-free gesture control which we didn’t have time to get to not grips with. The head-up display was a welcome option to our test car given the busyness of modern dashboards, a trend that even BMW has succumbed to.

The M440i is not a junior M3 or M4; despite some testers saying that those cars have lost some of their edge they remain very different beasts, with that being the operative word. The M440i may offer less of the Ultimate Driving Machine appeal of BMWs of old but it does very much feel like the ultimate expression of the small saloon with a broad spread of abilities that neatly straddle the often conflicting asks of sporty, stylish and usable.