The G22 BMW 4 Series is pictured alongside its F32 predecessor.
The 2021 BMW 4 Series sports a new set of fancy duds that do a good imitation of last year’s Concept 4. This means a new grille but soft contours elsewhere, along with taillights and interior styling that draws heavily from the 3 Series sedan.
What does the new (codenamed G22), look like compared to the old F324 Series?
The most noticeable differences are at the front. The most obvious differences are at the front. The split grille element is gone – the BMW-signature twin kidney-grille has been redesigned into one piece, instead of being two separate pieces as it was on the 20207 Series.
BMW also added combo air curtains/bumper air vents to make the central grille more prominent (at least for the model shown here), and fog lamps have been integrated into the LED headlamps or replaced by slimmer versions. The BMW hexagonal, modern LED light signature is still visible into 2021. This provides a visual link to its predecessor.
The 2021 4 Series looks more elegant and softened in profile than its predecessor. However, there are some visual surprises. The fender-mounted air vent can now be seen extending to the rear, a subtle reminder of the first generation Z4. The F32’s bold shoulder line is gone, and the F32’s haunches remind us too much about the InfinitiQ60. The rear quarter window treatment completely eliminates BMW’s Hofmeister kink. This is an unjustifiable oversight in my eyes. The current 3 Series has a more subtle Hof, but the 4 Series is still the first production Bimmer to do away with the Hofmeister kink since the BMW Z3 Coupe (and other convertibles).
The car’s rear is well-constructed, with an LED taillight signature similar to the headlights. These photos show a model with a sculpted rear bumper, featuring vertical vent elements along the sides and a large diffuser aping blackout panel at the bottom. BMW still uses geometry to great effect on the car’s back.
The design of the 2021 4 Series looks good overall, however, our opinions are divided on its styling. While some Motor1.comstaffers love that BMW is taking chances, others don’t like the buck-toothed grille. We find more faults with the 4 than the large kidneys. However, buyers, not pundits, are responding positively to the 7 Series, X7 and different concepts. We can expect similar designs from BMW in future.