With production anticipated to end next year in preparation for the moniker to be retired in 2025, the South African market price of the updated BMW Z4 has been revealed ahead of sales starting in the second quarter of this year.
Change
The only mid-life refresh given to the internally appointed G29 Z4 since its debut five years ago, the mechanically related Toyota Supra twin receives a new front bumper with larger air intakes, a restyled kidney grille with gloss black surrounds, standard 18-inch or optional 19-inch M Sport alloy wheels, optional Matrix Adaptive LED lights and Cerium Gray mirror covers for the flagship M40i.
In total, BMW has allocated four new colors to the existing palette; Skyscraper Gray Metallic, Frozen Gray Metallic, Portimao Blue Metallic and Thundernight Metallic come from the M240i xDrive.
Also read: The BMW Z4 returns from its first, and only possible, visit to the surgeon
Small changes inside
Inside, the now available Curved Display is no longer available for the Z4, leaving it with a Live Cockpit Professional setup that includes a dual 10.25-inch iDrive infotainment system and a digital instrument cluster. A wind deflector, front and rear parking sensors, heated seats and dual-zone climate control have, however, been added as standard features.
As before, the Z4’s soft roof, available in black or the new Anthracite Silver, opens and closes in 10 seconds at speeds of up to 50km/h. Claimed boot space is also unchanged at 281 litres.
In front of safety and driver assistance systems, standard as well as optional technologies include Adaptive Cruise Control, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Change Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Lane Departure Warning and Front Collision Warning with Autonomous Emergency Braking.
Power four or six
For South Africa, BMW has retained the sDrive 20i and M40i in a line-up that currently includes two models. In a move similar to all 2 Series Coupes, the 20i now comes standard with the popular M Sport package.
Up front, however, output for the smallest Z4 is unchanged at 145kW/320Nm from the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. The top speed is set at 240km/h with the 0-100km/h run taking 6.6 seconds.
The familiar eight-speed Steptronic gearbox continues to be the sole transmission option although a six-speed manual is available in other markets.
On the bright side, the B58 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six in the M40i is equipped with the same 285kW/500Nm output as in North America and the United States, and also the Supra.
Contraire for Toyota though, the six-speed manual box has not been allocated to the M40i, which means that it also retains the eight-speed Steptronic box, top speed of 250km/h and 0-100km/h in 4.1 seconds.
price
according to duoporta.com, the price for the Z4 kicks-off at R963 645 for the sDrive 20i M Sport and at R1 286 537 for the M40i. Both sticker prices include a five-year/100 000km maintenance plan.