BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe review

Although the basic dash and architecture are shared with BMW's saloons and even SUVs, it feels special in here because you sit low and the pillars rake back towards you.

Material quality is as good as anyone's and the well-oiled way the controls move adds to the sense of engineering depth.

Now we've seen the newest iDrive (version 8) on the i4, we're happy to stick with version 7 here on the Gran Coupe. You still get an unfashionable but refreshingly logical line of physical numbered buttons to assign radio stations, favourite contacts and most-used nav destinations. iDrive now has touchscreen capability, but BMW’s mercifully reprieved the tactile clickwheel controller, making this probably the safest infotainment anywhere to use on the move.

The optional head-up display is brilliant, and phone mirroring happens without dangly wires.

The seat is 'sporty' in a good way: supportive, highly adjustable and aimed straight at the wheel and pedals. In the back? Well, it's not as big as a 3 Series: head and foot room aren't so happy for tall folk.

The boot is a useful 470 litres (the Coupe has 440) and it stretches to various degrees depending how you deploy the 40:20:40 split-fold rear seat back.