BMW 420i M Sport Coupe 2020 UK first drive

If you’re looking for an entry point to the latest BMW 4 Series Coupé line-up, this here 420i M Sport is it.

You will, of course, have by now formed your own opinion about the styling of Munich’s latest two-door. Based on what I’ve read in various online comment sections, it would seem that there are a few people out there who don’t mind the way it looks, and I salute those individuals brave enough to actually stick their heads above the parapet and fess up to fancying its fanged face.

Whatever floats your boat, I guess. But for what it’s worth, I think it looks as though design chief Domagoj Dukec had a Predator for a muse. “Draw me like one of your German grilles,” it said, while reclining on a chaise lounge. Probably.

Anyway, the 420i M Sport Coupé starts at £39,870 and is expected to be the best-selling 4 Series variant here in the UK. Power comes from BMW’s B48 powerplant, and in this application the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine develops a modest 182bhp and 221lb ft.

An eight-speed automatic transmission sends all of this to the rear axle, where it's then deployed to the road. Unlike the 420d diesel, the 420i goes without any form of mild-hybrid assistance.

Suspension is by way of MacPherson struts and multiple links, with passive dampers and 18in alloys equipped as standard. Our test car, however, came with the £2500 M Sport Pro Package, which adds, among other things, adaptive dampers, 19in alloys, run-flat tyres and M Sport brakes to the equation.

Due to its long and heavy doors, the process of climbing aboard the 420i can be a bit tricky - particularly if you find yourself hemmed in in a tight perpendicular parking bay. Once inside, though, you’re greeted by a cabin that’s at once familiar in its layout and attractive in its appearance and material selection.

The electronically adjustable seats position you suitably low down in the cabin and offer excellent underthigh and lateral support. You sit bang in front of a typically chunky M Sport steering wheel and BMW’s digital instrument cluster, which still looks a bit fussy and is tricky to read but is at least slick in its operation.

Over your shoulder are two rear seats, although most adults would be keen to avoid these if possible. This car really a rather lovely place to spend time, not least because you can’t see its face from the driver’s seat.