The 4 Series Gran Coupe is a bit of an odd duck. Not quite small enough to be a hatchback, but with distinct enough styling to set it apart from regular sedans (and too many doors to really be considered a traditional coupe), it carves its own weird niche in the luxury sedan segment. It’s been a mainstay of the BMW lineup for over a decade. But recent rumors suggest the current generation might be coming to an end a little earlier than anticipated.

BMW G26 4 Series Gran Coupe Production Changes

The newest rumor moves the timeline for BMW G26 4 Series Gran Coupe production towards and earlier demise. Formerly, the G26 4 Series was to remain in production until June 2028; the new rumor cuts around a year and a half off its life span. Production is now said to end in February 2027. That sounds far away, but it means there’s only one full model year of 4 Series Gran Coupe production left if the rumor is believed. It comes by way of a generally accurate poster on bimmerpost who has a track record with more wins than losses.

If the rumor is true, the biggest casualty by far is the all-electric i4. Of course, as the i3 Neue Klasse EV will already have started production, shoppers will have alternatives. But there’s something to be said for the i4’s funky liftback. Even its styling — while certainly polarizing — has a distinct charm to it. The same could arguably be said for regular gas versions of the car, too.

While we have fairly high faith in BMW’s ability to make the electric 3 Series an excellent car to drive, there’s still the anxiety to the unknown. After all, the i4 is perhaps the most fun electric vehicle to drive on the market, short of perhaps the multitudes more expensive Porsche Taycan. But as our very own Adrian astutely observes, the i3 lineup could largely make the i4 Gran Coupe redundant. It seems BMW might agree.

Other 4 Series Models Aren’t Included

According to the same source, traditional 4 Series models, the coupes and convertibles, exist separately from the G26. The G22 and G23 could stick around until as late as June 2029 — nearly half a decade away! That includes the G82 and G83 M4 Coupe and Convertible, too. So, again — plenty of time to get a familiar performance car taste.

If the G26 4 Series Gran Coupe did just lose a year and a half of its expected life, it’s not the best news we’ve heard all day, but it’s not so big a surprise or drastic a change that we expect too many people to be shaken up over it. It also tracks, since the model was already killed early in Australia.

As mentioned, there will be plenty of good electric Neue Klasse models to choose from by the time the car leaves us. And if you really need a Gran Coupe fix after 2027, it presently seems your only choice might be the tiny 2 Series Gran Coupe. With no 8 Gran Coupe on the immediate horizon, the Gran Coupe body style could be nearly extinct. But we’ll have to wait and see.

Source: bimmerpost