30 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 8 APRIL 2 020
Δ becomes apparent that anybody
who wants their 2 Series Gran Coupé
t o mov e w it h muc h i nt e nt w ou ld do
well to avoid the entry-level 218i’s
engine. As we’ll shortly discover,
BMW’s B38 three-cylinder turbo
unit, which is shared with the Mini,
has some commendable strengths
but performance is not one of them,
despite our car’s reasonably light
t e s t w e i g ht of 142 0k g w it h a f u l l
tank of fuel.
A t M i l lbr o ok , t he s pr i nt t o 6 0 mph
took 8.8sec, the car moving limply off
the line with the front tyres never in
any danger of losing traction. Were
the lowliest 2 Series Gran Coupé
me r e l y slow, it w ou ld n’t m at t e r s o
much, but in this application, the
B38 engine lacks the energy and the
more rev-hungry spirit it summons in
the Mini. Character, in other words.
While smooth, mild-mannered and
impressively linear, it always feels
restrained, which is demonstrated
by the time the car takes to complete
our usual 30-70mph-in-fourth-gear
measure of flexibility. Twelve seconds
i s s ome w h at u n-BM W, e v e n i n t h i s
ne w e r a of r a k i sh b o d y s t y le s h id i n g a
front-drive powertrain.
If the 218i Gran Coupé lacks fizz
under the bonnet, it performs with
more conviction under braking. Servo
assistance feels modest and there’s
good progression in the brake pedal,
which is rare nowadays, even withthe products from manufacturers
that have historically put the
driver front and centre. Reaching a
standstill from 70mph in 45.7m is
no longer exceptional, but the set-up
here is one that gives the driver quiet
confidence, with a veneer of polish
missing in some of the other controls.
BMW’s Steptronic dual-clutch
gearbox also deserves praise. With
seven ratios, it does more to mitigate
the engine’s lack of firepower than
the standard-fit six-speed manual
and it shifts quickly but without the
unnecessary brusqueness of some
dual-clutch transmissions, especially
at low speeds. Because of the engine’s
shortage of torque at lower revs, it’s
also required to drop down a couple
of gears fairly often, which it does
without trouble. Finally, a long top
gear allows sub-2000rpm motorwaycruising, usefully reducing noise and
fuel consumption.
None of which makes up for the
f a c t t h at t he 218i Gr a n C oup é h a s
a n e n g i ne t h at f a i l s t o l i v e up t o t he
e x p e c t at ion s of one r e sid i n g i n a c a r
with sporting, dynamic pretensions.
HANDLING AND STABILITY
AAABC
You may pine for the 2 Series Gran
Coupé that might have been, had
BMW only continued to build its
small cars on a rear-drive platform.
The notion of a fine-handling but
compact four-door coupé with a
short wheelbase, no front driveshafts
and a reasonably low kerb weight
holds considerable appeal, but
the truth is that even the old,
tail-driven 1 Series, despite its fine,
longitudinal straight-six engine for
the hotter models, never drove as
sweetly, playfully or predictably as
it shou ld h av e.
As it is, the front-driven approachwe have here, although capable,
i s h a rd l y t he l a s t w ord i n d y n a m ic
finesse and, for the enthusiast,
does little to disguise the humdrum
driveline orientation.
It’s not all bad, though. The
2 S e r ie s Gr a n C oup é i s sl i g ht l y s of t e r
than the new-generation 1 Series,
as befits its more cruiser-oriented
brief, but this example’s M Sport
springs dial the firmness back
up a touch. The result is a car that
s t e e r s ple a si n g l y w e l l i n e v e r yd ay
driving and one that contains roll
ne at l y a nd i s e a s y t o pl a c e on t he
z It’s a pleasant car to steer down a B-road at everyday speeds but an underlying softness and resolutely nose-led balance become more apparent when you press on
`
For a compact model,
it’s an unusually relaxing
long-distance companion
a