Exterior changes not so easy to spot.
With production anticipated to wrap-up next year in readiness for the moniker being retired by 2025, South African market pricing of the updated BMW Z4 has been uncovered ahead of sales commencing in the second quarter of this year.
The only mid-life refresh afforded to the internally designated G29 Z4 since its debut five-years ago, the mechanically related twin of the Toyota Supra receives a new front bumper with wider air intakes, a restyled kidney grille with gloss black surrounds, standard 18-inch or optional 19-inch M Sport alloy wheels, the optional Matrix Adaptive LED headlights and Cerium Grey mirror caps for the flagship M40i.
In total, BMW has allocated four new colours to the existing palette; Skyscraper Grey Metallic, Frozen Grey Metallic, Portimao Blue Metallic and Thundernight Metallic derived from the M240i xDrive.
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Inside, the now widely available Curved Display has not availed to the Z4, leaving it with the carryover Live Cockpit Professional setup comprising the dual 10.25-inch iDrive infotainment system and digital instrument cluster. A wind deflector, front and rear parking sensors, heated seats and dual-zone climate control has, however, been added as standard features.
As before, the Z4’s soft-top roof, available black or the new Anthracite Silver, opens and closes in 10 seconds at speeds up to 50 km/h. Claimed boot space is also unchanged at 281-litres.
On the safety and driver assistance systems front, standard as well as optional technologies comprise Adaptive Cruise Control, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Change Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Lane Departure Warning and Front Collision Warning with Autonomous Emergency Braking.
For South Africa, BMW has retained the sDrive 20i and the M40i in a line-up now spanning two models. In a move similar to the entire 2 Series Coupe range, the 20i now comes standard with the ever-popular M Sport package.
Up front though, outputs for the smallest Z4 remains unchanged at 145kW/320Nm from the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. Top speed is pegged at 240 km/h with the 0-100 km/h dash taking 6.6 seconds.
The familiar eight-speed Steptronic gearbox continues to be the sole transmission option despite a six-speed manual being available in other markets.
At the range’s sharp-end, the B58 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six in the M40i comes with the same 285kW/500Nm outputs as in North America and the United States, and indeed the Supra.
Contraire to the Toyota though, the six-speed manual box hasn’t been allocated to the M40i, meaning it too retains the eight-speed Steptronic box, top speed of 250 km/h and 0-100 km/h in 4.1 seconds.
According to duoporta.com, pricing 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/100 000 km maintenance plan.
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