BMW M440i Convertible Review 2026

Convertibles in India are a rare thing. Most of them sit above the Rs 2 crore mark and spend more time in the garage than on the road. The BMW M440i Convertible wants to change that. It is coming to India in mid-2026 at an expected price of around Rs 1.1 crore and it brings proper open-top excitement with a usable everyday character that makes it genuinely different from the ultra-exotic drop-tops that came before it.

BMW India is expected to launch this officially by May 2026 as a CBU import. It will fill the gap left by the BMW Z4 which is being phased out globally with no direct replacement planned.

Design – Long, Low and Impossible to Ignore

The M440i Convertible is based on the 4 Series Coupe and shares the same body lines. The front gets slim LED headlights with a sharp diagonal DRL signature flanking the large kidney grilles along with sizable air intakes on either side of the bumper. The side profile is long and low with frameless doors that open wide for easy entry.

The star feature of the design is of course the electric soft top. It is a fabric roof that is lighter than a traditional hardtop and can be opened or closed in just 18 seconds at speeds up to 50 kmph. So if clouds suddenly appear on a highway drive you do not need to pull over — just press the button and the roof comes up while you are still moving.

Seven colour options are available including Black Sapphire, Mineral White, Portimao Blue, Arctic Race Blue, Brooklyn Grey, Cape York Green and Fire Red.

At the rear the tail lamps are slim and composed with a clean boot lid and a bumper that does not try too hard. Those meaty exhausts lurking underneath give the rear a quiet but confident performance hint.

Engine – BMW's B58 Inline-Six at Its Best

Under the hood the M440i Convertible comes equipped with the same B58 3.0-litre turbo straight-six as the BMW M340i sedan outputting 374hp and 500Nm. This powerplant is hooked up to an 8-speed automatic gearbox that funnels power to all four wheels enabling the M440i Convertible to dispatch the 0-100kmph run in a claimed 4.9 seconds onwards to an electronically limited top speed of 250kmph.

The B58 also gets a 48V mild hybrid system that assists during acceleration and helps with efficiency. The mileage rating is 12 kpl on the WLTP cycle which is not bad for a performance-oriented four-seat sportscar that weighs 1890kg.

What makes this engine special is how it behaves across different situations. In Comfort mode it is smooth, quiet and relaxed genuinely usable as a daily driver. In Sport Plus mode it sharpens up considerably and the exhaust note becomes more vocal and exciting. BMW claims a 0-100kmph time of 4.9 seconds but in real-world tests the car managed 4.43 seconds making this another instance of BMW understating its cars' performance capability.

How It Drives

The M440i is not trying to be a track weapon. It is a grand tourer that happens to be very fast when you ask it to be.

The adaptive dampers do an excellent job of soaking up road imperfections in Comfort mode making this a car you can drive daily without fatigue. What was unexpected was just how usable it would be thanks to the very effective adaptive dampers, surprisingly spacious rear seats and smooth unstressed powertrain when left in Comfort mode.

The xDrive all-wheel drive system is rear-biased which means in Sport mode with the electronic aids reduced the rear steps out in a controlled and theatrical way. It is not aggressive or scary it is precise and playful. The M Sport differential helps maintain composure and the rear-axle steering improves both low-speed agility and high-speed stability.

The one area where the convertible's character shows through is in direction changes. The car is 165kg heavier than the M340i sedan and that weight plus the longer body means it does not swap directions as quickly as its smaller sibling. But that is expected and accepted in this type of car. The M440i is built for flowing roads, long stretches of open highway and the occasional spirited mountain run not for track day hotlapping.

Interior – Well Equipped but Not Dramatic Enough

A 14.9-inch curved infotainment touchscreen takes centre stage with a digital driver's display and three-spoke flat-bottomed M-spec steering wheel.

You get powered seats with memory function, a wireless phone charger, adaptive LED headlamps, dual-zone auto climate control, auto park assist and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto amongst much else. There are also ADAS features such as adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist.

The rear seats are a genuine positive. They are not just token seats like in most convertibles actual adults can sit there comfortably for reasonable distances. This makes the M440i a proper four-person car which is rare at this price point in the convertible segment.

The one honest criticism is that the cabin does not feel dramatically more special than a regular 3 Series inside. For a car at Rs 1.1 crore the interior should feel more exclusive and occasion-worthy. Infotainment graphics are crisp but with too many submenus it is unintuitive to use and you have to stop the car to get anything done.

BMW M440i Convertible Full Specs

BMW M440i Convertible Rivals in India

The M440i Convertible enters a very niche space in India. Its direct rivals are the Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet and the Audi A5 Convertible though the Audi A5 and S5 have been discontinued in some global markets leaving the field clearer for the BMW and Mercedes to fight it out.

With the Z4 on its way out globally with no immediate successor planned the M440i Convertible will enter the scene in 2026 and cater to prospective BMW drop-top buyers in India.

Should You Buy the BMW M440i Convertible

If BMW can keep it on the right side of Rs 1 crore we could actually see more convertibles on our roads than ever before. At the expected Rs 1.1 crore mark it is slightly above that ideal threshold but it still makes a strong case.

You get a genuinely fast and exciting car with a proper inline-six engine, all-wheel drive, a usable four-seat cabin and the open-top experience that no coupe or sedan can replicate. The adaptive dampers make it comfortable enough for daily use and the Sport Plus mode makes weekend drives genuinely exciting.

If you want a car that turns heads, feels special on open roads and can carry four people in proper comfort all while wearing a fabric roof this is one of the very few options available in India today that does all of that together.

Expected India launch in May 2026. All prices are expected ex-showroom figures based on industry estimates as of April 2026. Official pricing will be announced by BMW India at the time of launch. Car is a CBU import.