The compact four-door F44 family on a front-wheel drive platform joined the BMW lineup in 2019. There is a planned restyling ahead, and our freelance author Dmitry Shulpin recently managed to catch two pre-production camouflaged cars on the roads of California at once.
The dark—colored sedan is, apparently, a low-power version. This is clear from the rear bumper with hidden exhaust pipes and fashionable wheels with two-tone paint. Through the dense camouflage, you can only see the changed shape of the headlights (the step from the bottom disappeared) and the taillights, while other external differences from pre-reform cars are not yet visible.
But the changes in the cabin are clearly visible! The “two” Gran Coupe will completely change the architecture of the front panel. As with older BMW models, the classic devices under the visor and a separate screen of the media system have been retired. They were replaced by a curved capless panel that combines multimedia screens and a digital instrument cluster. The new steering wheel with an openwork lower spoke is also clearly visible.
The second red car looks like a “warmed up” version. This is evidenced by blued wheels of a specific design, large brake calipers painted in red and a four-barrel exhaust system with a large can of muffler.
Now the Gran Coupe of the second series is equipped with engines with a volume of 1.5 and 2.0 liters and a capacity from 109 to 306 hp, and this range is unlikely to undergo a serious revision. But in terms of transmissions, changes are more than likely. Now the two-pedal “twos” are equipped with either a seven-speed preselective “robot” (in low-power versions), or a classic eight-speed “automatic”. However, the single-platform models X1, X2 and ActiveTourer have only a “robot” left after the generational change. Most likely, the same metamorphosis will occur with the updated four-door, which is expected to premiere in 2024.