BMW introduced the 440i nameplate for the 4 Series family in the middle of the first-generation car’s lifecycle, as part of the 2017 model-year update. It replaced the earlier 435i designation and was used across the coupe, convertible, and Gran Coupe body styles as the top mainstream six-cylinder 4 Series variant. The 440i was positioned as the more powerful, enthusiast-focused step above the four-cylinder 430i, while still sitting below BMW’s full M models.
In BMW’s lineup, the 440i became the defining six-cylinder 4 Series badge for the facelifted F3x generation. It carried through the rest of that generation’s production run and was offered in rear-wheel-drive and xDrive forms depending on body style and market. The nameplate mattered because it marked BMW’s move from the older 35i-era numbering to the newer 40i family, signaling the brand’s updated naming structure while preserving the six-cylinder grand-touring character that had long appealed to 3 Series and 4 Series buyers.
The 440i disappeared when the second-generation 4 Series launched for the 2021 model year. BMW did not carry the 440i badge forward into that redesign; instead, the successor performance variant was renamed M440i. As a result, the 440i is best understood as a single continuous nameplate tied to the first-generation 4 Series facelift, and it has become a recognizable modern BMW badge for the last non-M, six-cylinder 4 Series of that era.