By 
2 Series is BMW’s latest Gran Coupe image via BMW
BMW has expanded its compact four-door offering with a new 2 Series Gran Coupe model.
This new vehicle has been deigned to counter Mercedes-Benz’s CLA and is an interpretation of the compact sedan theme, with a sloping roofline.
With its frameless doors and teardrop side-profile, the 2 Series Gran Coupe fills the space between 1 Series hatch and BMW’s traditional 3 Series sedan.
It also becomes the most compact BMW with a boot, which is important for those buyers who prefer the lockable security of a metal stowage area, as opposed to a glass tailgate.
The 2 Series Gran Coupe shares its platform with BMW’s new 1 Series, which is front-wheel drive. These new vehicles are a departure from BMW’s traditional engineering philosophy of producing only rear- and all-wheel drive vehicles.
Since BMW acquired the Mini brand in the mid-1990s, there was always a likelihood that the company’s smaller vehicles would start to convergence in terms of engineering resources and adopt front-wheel drive as a default configuration.
2 Series Gran Coupe has unique design details
This new BMW combines the practicality of four-doors and a boot, with a slightly more daring appearance. It also has frameless doors..
Although the sloping roofline gifts this new compact BMW a more dynamic presence, it remains a practical vehicle too. Luggage capacity totals 430-litres, which is 50-litres more than you’d get in a 1 Series five-door hatchback, which shares the same floorplan.
Mechanically this new BMW features the brand’s latest range of turbocharged four-cylinder engines. The 218i version has a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine, good for 103kW and 220Nm.
For those BMW customers who seek the stylish appearance of a 2 Series Gran Coupe with excellent fuel consumption and long-range touring ability, there will also be a 220d version. This derivative has a 2-litre turbodiesel, producing 140kW and 400Nm, with cruising diesel consumption of 4.5l/100km.
The M235i xDrive is powered by a 2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, boosting 225kW and 450Nm. This potent 2-litre engine is paired with all-wheel drive, to distribute engine output. BMW claims it will run 0-100kph in 4.8 seconds. It is the one variant which is not front-wheel drive.
BMW is expected to launch this new model into global markets during the first half of 2020.
Help support journalists, the guardians of independent journalism, through our student media initiative that gives a voice to students and their generation! Find out more…
