2015 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe Result of Slicing, Dicing

Last year, BMW offered its 3 Series lineup in sedan, coupe, convertible, and station wagon format. This year, the automaker split the coupe and convertible apart from the sedan and wagon, renaming them the 4 Series in the process. The company also introduced a new version of the 3 Series called the Gran Turismo, a taller 5-door hatchback version of the 3 Series sedan equipped with extra rear-seat room and more cargo space.

Now, for the 2015 model year, BMW debuted the new 4 Series Gran Coupe, a taller 5-door hatchback variant of the 4 Series Coupe that offers more rear-seat space and a larger cargo area.

Confused? Don't be. The new 2015 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe is sleeker than a BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo, but is less utilitarian in terms of design and is less practical in terms of space. It is also more expensive when comparably equipped, and is predicted to get better fuel economy thanks to its more aerodynamic shape. Equipped with 4+1 seating, the 4 Series Gran Coupe features a 40/20/40 split rear seat that nearly triples cargo capacity when it is folded down.

The 2015 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe will be available as the 428i, 428i xDrive, and 435i equipped with standard, Sport, Luxury, or M Sport trim. The 428i model has a turbocharged, 240-horsepower, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine while the 435i variant gets a turbocharged, 300-horsepower, 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder engine. Both engines include fuel-saving automatic start/stop technology and Driving Dynamics Control with EcoPro, Comfort, Sport, and Sport+ driving modes.