BMW Rumored to Drop the 4 Series Big Grille but it’s a Long Shot

There are some rumors that BMW might swap the 4 Series’ big grille for a smaller one but they’re probably bogus.

byNico DeMattia|
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BMW's massive beaver-toothed grille has been the main point of criticism for the Bavarian brand over the past few years. Cars like the BMW X7 and 7 Series facelift started the trend, and received their fair share of criticism, but it wasn't until the much smaller 4 Series--and subsequent BMW M3 and M4--that critics really started to lash out. So much so that it's caused a rumor, from a Japanese site Speed7, that BMW might change the face of the 4 Series with its upcoming facelift. However, those rumors are probably going to end up being just that--rumors.

Social media would have you believe that BMW sales are freefalling, following the launch of its funky new grille. However, that simply isn't the case. In fact, the 4 Series has actually been one of BMW's best-selling cars so far this year, with 7,379 beaver-grilled Bimmers finding homes in America. The only other non-SUV BMW to sell more than that has been the 3 Series, which has always been the brand's bread and butter. Those 4 Series figures also represent a 54.2-percent increase over Q1 of last year, which indicates that customers are coming around to this new grille design.

The 4 Series isn't the only toothy Bimmer to sell well, though. Both the BMW M3 and M4, which have a version of the 4 Series' massive grille, are selling very well. In fact, last year was the BMW M Division's best sales year in history, selling 163,542 cars, a 13-percent increase over the previous year. While BMW M didn't share any specific sales figures, the M3 and M4 were the only new M cars in 2022, which tells me both cars had a lot to do with BMW M's recent success.

The rumor that BMW might change the 4 Series grille with its upcoming facelift comes after a render was recently released, showing off the 4 Series with the new 3 Series facelift's grille. The render brought a ton of praise for the its new looks and more sensibly-sized grille, which led some fans to believe that BMW might attempt to make the change for real. But there's just no evidence to suggest that's true, especially with how well its cars are selling.

Not only are the 4 Series, M3, and M4 doing well for BMW but the Bavarian brand is also trying to avoid a same-sausage-different-length problem in its lineup, and differentiating the 4 Series from the 3 Series, with a massive grille, seems to be how BMW wants to accomplish that. As with all rumors, there's a small possibility that this one is true. However, while nothing's impossible, it seems highly unlikely BMW is making any changes anytime soon.

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