8 APRIL 2 020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 27
ROAD TEST
here’s an air of
inevitability that
seems to surround
the new 2 Series Gran
Coupé’s arrival into the BMW
family. And curiously, if not totally
unsurprisingly, this stems from the
existence of a car of vastly greater
proportions than this week’s road
test subject, too.
The launch of the original X6 in
2008 was an interesting moment
in BMW history. To say it was a
curiously styled beast would be to
put things very kindly indeed, but
for those brand traditionalists still
struggling with the idea of BMW
making any SUVs at all, Munich’sthird X model proved a particularly
difficult pill to swallow. Nevertheless,
as provocative as its existence might
have been at the time, the truth of
the matter was that it drove well and
w e nt on t o s e l l v e r y s t r on g l y i nde e d.
In fact, its success helped BMW
to forge something of a reputation
for it s e l f a s a f i r m w it h a sh a r p
eye for identifying new, left-field
niches within the car market.
Niches that were, to put it somewhat
simplistically, largely defined by a
dramatically sloping coupé-style
roof line. Admittedly, Mercedes had
he lp e d t o p opu l a r i s e t he ide a of t he
four-door coupé with the launch of
the CLS in 2004, but BMW’s success
with the more outlandish SUV coupé
s u r e l y s ol id i f ie d it s c on f ide nc e i n t he
lo g ic of appl y i n g t he de si g n for mu l a
across its entire model portfolio –
regardless of bodystyle or whether it
might be considered tasteful.
So we eventually wound up with
the likes of the X4 and X2, but we gotthe strikingly handsome 6 Series and
4 Series Gran Coupé models, too. It’s
also how we wound up here, with
the 2 Series Gran Coupé, a car those
of a more unscrupulous disposition
might be inclined to label a 1 Series in
a party frock.
Whether or not this new compact
four-door coupé will be a hit with
the fashion-conscious audience it’s
intended for remains to be seen.
Right now, we’re going to find out if
this new rival to the Mercedes-Benz
CLA has what it takes to stand on its
own two feet.
DESIGN AND ENGINEERING
AAABC
With a healthy amount of the 2 Series
Gran Coupé’s appeal expected
to emanate from its looks, it’sdisappointing to see it head into
play from a compromised position.
Next to the elegant CLA, the BMW’s
comparatively bulbous proportions
leave it looking awkwardly chunky
and inf lated, compromising its
ability to convincingly pass as a sleek
four-door coupé. Its fussy, almost
cartoonish front end lacks any real
sense of memorable elegance and its
pinched rear is seemingly doing its
best to imitate the X4 and X6 SUVs –
both of which are widely perceived to
represent low points in contemporary
BMW design.
Although BMW has confirmed
z As is the style these days, BMW’s
kidney grille dominates a good portion
of frontal real estate, even going so
far as to fold over the upper lip of the
bonnet. Here, it’s finished in black and
is purely ornamental.
z These 18in double-spoke alloy
wheels are optional and look quite
smart, despite being finished in black.
Larger, 19in wheels are also available,
although we’d be wary that they
would compromise the car’s
rolling refinement.z Lip spoiler on the bootlid of our
2 Series Gran Coupé is an optionalextra that’s included in the £2200
M Sport Plus pack. It adds further
muscularity to the car’s already rather
contrived sense of visual aggression.
z Trim piece that surrounds the intake
on the lower front bumper is finished
in black on Sport and M Sport models.
For the range-topping M235i, it’s a
smoked shade of grey, which is an
M Performance signature.
T
BMW 1 Series uses the same architecture
that the future versions of the 2 Series
Coupé and Convertible will retain
a rear-driven platform, this new
Gran Coupé sits on the same natively
front-driven UKL2 architecture
that underpins the latest 1 Series.
A selection of transversely mounted
three- and four-cylinder petrol and
diesel engines are available at launch,
with our 218i test car being the entry-
level offering. It features the same1.5-litre three-pot that appears in
the base 1 Series and various Mini
mo de l s , he r e m a k i n g 1 38bhp a nd
162 lb f t. T h i s i s de ploy e d t o t he r oa d
via an optional dual-clutch automatic
gearbox, as opposed to the standard-
fit six-speed manual.
With 187bhp and 295lb ft on tap,
the diesel 220d develops considerably
more grunt than our 218i, but it’s the
range-topping M235i M Performance
model that will most likely get the
hearts of keen drivers pumping. Its
302bhp, 332lb ft motor is BMW’s
most powerful series-production
four-pot yet and, unlike the 218i and
220d, it employs a clutch-based part-
t i me f ou r-w he e l d r i v e s y s t e m t h a t c a n
d i r e c t a s muc h a s 5 0% of t he e n g i ne ’s
torque to the rear axle. A 400bhp-plus
v e r sion of t h at e n g i ne i s r e p or t e d l y i n
the works, too, which suggests that a
full-fat M2 Gran Coupé variant could
emerge further down the line to take
on Mercedes-AMG’s madcap CLA 45.
All 2 Series Gran Coupé modelshave BMW’s near-actuator wheel ◊
ENGINES POWER FROM
218i 138bhp £25,815
220d 187bhp £31,355
M235i xDrive 302bhp £37,255
TRANSMISSIONS
6-spd manual
7-spd dual-clutch automatic
8-spd automatic
Three flavours of 2 Series Gran
Coupé are currently available here
in the UK. The three-cylinder 218i
tested here represents the entry-level engine offering; the 220d
is the sole diesel option; and the
considerably more powerful M235i
xDrive M Performance model crowns
the range as the driver’s choice.
M Performance cars aside,
just two trim levels are currently on
offer: Sport and M Sport. The latter
introduces more aggressive styling,
extra equipment and uprated, firmer
suspension, which may or may not
be to everyone’s tastes.
Range at a glance
We don’t like
We like
z Driving position is excellent, with
plenty of adjustability
z Cabin is impressively isolated, even
on sporty wheels and suspension
z Not enough visual appeal to cut it
in a style-dependent niche
z Engine performance is a bit too
tepid and short on character