BMW 1 Series morphs into booted new 2 Series Gran Coupe

With the wraps having come off of the all-new 1 Series in June, BMW has uncovered the second generation 2 Series Gran Coupe ahead of the start of sales in March next year.

Practical One

Unveiled in Germany rather than at the Paris Motor Show in range-topping M235 guise, the 2 Series Gran Coupe again rides on the front-wheel-drive FAAR platform that underpins the 1 Series rather than the CLAR architecture used by the related, only in name-only 2 Series Coupe.

Designed in accordance with the 1 Series, the 2 Series Gran Coupe retains the same overall appearance, although from the B-pillar back, the sedan bodystyle has resulted in bigger rear doors and bootlid that hides 430-litres of space versus the 1 Series’ 380-litres.

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Dimensionally, the Gran Coupe measures 20 mm longer than its predecessor and 25 mm higher, with respective figures of 4 546 mm and 1 445 mm. At 1 800 mm, the overall width is unchanged, with the same applying to the 2 670 mm long wheelbase.

Compared to the 1 Series, the 2 Series has the same width and wheelbase, but with a 185 mm gain in overall length and a 14 mm reduction in height.

Underneath and inside

Its rear facia being new, the smallest sedan in BMW’s range boasts a more rigid chassis, as well as retuned steering, new shock absorbers and kinematics, plus a revised Adaptive M suspension that lowers the ride height by eight millimetres.

As part of the latter that comes standard on the M235 and optional on models specified with the M Sport package, BMW has tweaked the absorbers and availed 17-inch alloy wheels with 18-inches being optional but standard on the M235.

Also included are the M Sport seats trimmed in a new leather-free Veganza and Alcantara material with heating and massaging functions, the M Sport steering wheel and paddle shifters, and the M Sport Boost setting that makes full power available for 10 seconds.

The non-M seats, meanwhile, are trimmed in recycled Econeer and can be fitted with the heating and massaging functions as options.

As for the interior itself, the 2 Series joins the 1 Series by receiving the “small model” specific Curved Display made-up of a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and the driver-angled 10.7-inch iDrive infotainment system with the latest 9.0 operating system.

Furnished with the streamlined centre console omitting a gear lever for a toggle switch, the 2 Series Gran Coupe also takes leave of the majority of physical switches, although some have been integrated onto the console itself.

Up front

In terms of power, and besides the M235, which also does without the ‘’i” that originally denoted fuel injection, the 2 Series Gran Coupe range comprises a single further petrol engine and two turbodiesels with 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance included on two.

As with the 1 Series, the least sporting model, the 220, develops 125kW/280Nm from its 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine with the mentioned mild-hybrid hardware adding 15kW/55Nm for short bursts. The claimed top speed is 230 km/h with the 0-100 km/h dash taking 7.9 seconds.

Commencing the diesel range, the 218d loses the hybrid system entirely with its 2.0-litre oil-burner developing 110kW/360Nm.

Accordingly, it will get from 0-100 km/h in 8.4 seconds before topping-out at 226 km/h.

Using the same engine, the 220d produces 120kW/400Nm with the 48-volt hardware adding the same power and torque numbers as the 218.

The flagship diesel’s top speed is also capped at 226 km/h with its 0-100 km/h acceleration time taking eight seconds.

Regardless of the engine, all variants are mated to a new seven-speed dual-clutch Steptronic gearbox.

For the United States, the range starts off with the 228 that uses a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol outputting 180kW/400Nm hooked to the same transmission, but with the option of the xDrive all-wheel-drive system not available on any of the “conventional” European models.

At the range’s summit, the M235, which gets the xDrive system as standard, utilises the same 2.0-litre engine, but in two states of tune; 233 kW or 221 kW in Europe with torque in both instances rated at 400 Nm.

Seemingly, both have the same performance figures of 0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds and a limited top speed of 250 km/h.

As with the rest of the range, the M235 has a seven-speed dual-clutch Steptronic gearbox, but with the sport ratios as standard.

Still to be approved

Still to be priced in Europe with production taking place at the Leipzig plant, the 2 Series Gran Coupe has, for the moment, not been confirmed for South Africa due to the European and North American markets taking preference.

Should approval be given though, expect it to arrive either towards the end of the first quarter or in the middle of 2025.

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