There may not be a more controversial new Bimmer than the BMW Concept 4, which just made its official debut at the 2019 IAA. There are certainly aspects of it that work very well but there are also some aspects that don’t work at all. So it’s a bit of a mixed bag.
Having said that, it’s an important concept because it’s supposed to preview the new 4 Series. Though, it doesn’t look too much like the 4 Series test mules we’ve seen driving around in public. Still, it’s important.
As a whole, it’s a good looking car, the Concept 4. It’s proportioned perfectly, with a long hood, short rear deck, short overhangs, muscular haunches and a low, sloping profile. From the side, it’s a very pretty car. Even at the back end, it looks great. Its taillights are high-tech and slick looking, you can see its muscular shoulders and its rear diffuser is cool too.
It’s at the front where things get a bit off the rails and it all starts with its massive grille. The massive Kidney Grille is so enormous and out of place that it’s hard to not be shocked by it at first. It’s also a lightning rod for criticism, deserved or not.
Now, we don’t think the new 4 Series will have a grille anywhere near that large when it enters production, and honestly we’d be a bit surprised if it’s much bigger than the 3 Series’. Still, it’s a bit odd to see such a massive, shocking grille on the Concept 4.
The most likely reason for the massive mug on the Concept 4 is China. The Chinese market seems to like big grilles and it’s also one of the very most important markets for BMW. It’s also an expanding market, with huge potential for the Bavarians, so making the Chinese market happy is a wise financial move. Also, BMW might be playing a little bit of 3D chess with this and showing us this massive grille to distract us from some of its other odd designs, like the BMW iNEXT. Though, the latter is more of a wild theory than anything else.
Anyway, here are some live photos of the BMW Concept 4 from its debut in Frankfurt. Take a look.
[Photos: 7-forum.com]
