BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe Review: Almost An Indulgence

Entry-level luxury cars have a relatively restricted audience in India. It’s a tough ask to fork up around or over half a crore for something no larger than the average compact sedan/SUV especially when the latter’s where innovation’s at its heaviest. The new 2-Series is unlikely to expand the audience for a compact luxury sedan but anyone buying one of these has a lot to look forward to.

Looks

Frankly, images don’t do justice to the new design. It may seem a bit familiar but in person, it’s sporty design done just right. The new adaptive LED headlights also feature animated LED DRLs spliced into them that double up as the pulsating indicators. Even the new grille gets an illuminated outline. My favourite part would have to be the sharp cuts in the bumper that dial in a good dose of vitamin ///M.

Of course, with any coupe, the side profile is supposed to be the highlight. The smaller the car, the harder it is to get it right. Thankfully, the 2-Series looks well proportioned, complemented by the sporty 18-inch alloy wheels. Interestingly, the ground clearance has been increased by 19mm vs the predecessor though that doesn’t foul with the low-riding sedan stance. And yes, you get traditional pull type door handles; no flush-fitting, pop-out gimmickry.

The rear end looks a bit more traditional BMW with arrow detailing for the LED tail light internals. While some may prefer the old front end of the 2-Series, this new rear end is objectively better balanced as a design in my view.

Boot

That’s 430-litres of boot space with no spare tyre to render the space pointless, by the way. There is a space-saver spare placed under the boot floor and you can get in one large suitcase along with a few small bags here. 

For additional luggage, the seats do have a 40:20:40 split. Folding them opens up a long and flat floor which can fit in a good deal of cargo. 

Luxury

Frameless doors look cool as ever and the 2-Series feels absolutely rock solid. There’s a heft to operating everything here that feels like a physical ego-massage. The interior quality and build is top notch as well. Every touch point feels rich and thankfully, unlike the new X3, you have premium soft-touch padding on the dashboard instead of some scratchy textile.

No doubt, this car makes you feel special even though the design itself isn’t something over the top.

Compact

It’s longer than before and taller as well but the wheelbase is still 2670mm. As you’d imagine with a sedan coupe, getting into the car isn’t the most graceful affair if you’re tall, and you will have to bend down a fair bit. Average-sized users will have to duck a bit too especially while getting into the rear seat. Seating someone 5.7ft tall behind a driver of the same height is easy. The roof-section above the rear headrest has been scooped out to clear some headroom too. However, the seat isn’t especially big and underthigh support isn’t great. BMW is aware that this car isn’t about the rear seat experience and doesn’t advertise it as such. 

While getting into the front seat is a bit tricky for tall folks, the seat’s travel range and large pedal box make it comfortable to drive. The seat base is extendable too and if you’re of a slightly hefty build, the seats will still feel supportive. The large steering wheel feels great to grip and while the car itself is petite, the controls inside are large enough for the owners of stubby fingers to be comfortable.

Kit

Usually, opting for a luxury badge means compromising on features for more feel good in the intangibles. The 2-Series, however, is quite loaded. Spoiler alert: It misses ventilated seats.

Leather-free interior	Digital key (shareable with 4 users)
Panoramic sunroof	Two-zone climate control with rear AC vents
Head-up display with augmented view	12-Speaker Harman-Kardon Music System
Wireless phone charger	Ambient lighting

The infotainment package includes a 10.7-inch touchscreen along with a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. While the UX doesn’t look as modern as the average smartphone, the interface is easy to navigate through, data dense as it is. Response times are quick and both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are supported wirelessly. BMW has pulled a little form over function with the AC though. The climate control is operated through the touchscreen while the vents are adjusted via toggles underneath them. While these aren’t difficult to use, they just aren’t straightforward to operate, especially while driving. 

Sound quality from the 205W Harman Kardon music system is great and is complemented well by the car’s noise insulation. You also get powered front seats but only the driver gets memory settings.

Safe & Secure

Safety features include 7 airbags including a front central airbag, ABS with EBD, traction control, front and rear parking sensors, along with a high-resolution 360-degree camera. ADAS features like blind-spot monitoring, lane-assist, lane-departure warning, front and rear collision warning and safe-exit warning are offered but no adaptive cruise control.

We’d recommend keeping the collision warning off as it’s a bit jumpy in our conditions. A jarring panic brake nearly got us rear ended while we were merely crawling our way through traffic. Erratic bikers in particular catch it off guard and a few months driving through our conditions would warrant therapy and a service centre visit in equal measure for this little coupe.

The 2-Series also gets a few unique features like the reversing assistant (retraces your drive path in reverse for up to 50 metres at low speeds), drive recorder (on-board dashcam that uses the surround-view cameras) and auto-park. 

Drive

While the car has moved up a wheel size, the tyre size itself stays the same at 225/45. A crucial difference is the switch to regular tubeless tyres instead of the runflats which has a positive effect on the ride quality. Bump absorption is good and rippled road sections won’t see you slowing down to a crawl. The low front lip does mean you should take large speed breakers with care but you don’t necessarily need to do the “supercar split”, cutting across them diagonally. The handling’s on point too and while we couldn’t call this go-kart fun like a similarly priced MINI 3-door, it’s engaging enough.

The big controversy remains the engine. On paper, it’s a downgrade. Instead of a near 180PS 2-litre, 4-cylinder turbo-petrol, you now get a 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder turbo-petrol good for just 153PS and 230Nm. BMW India reckons this 218-spec serves the needs of our market even though a 170PS 220-spec is available overseas, with a mild-hybrid at that. 

Functionally, I’d agree with them. The 218 Gran Coupe potters around the city and manages highway runs easily too. Driveability isn’t lacking in any way and it’s versatile enough in its performance to meet any daily driving need. Be sensible and you can get close to its 16.35kmpl claimed fuel-efficiency and you can run it on regular 91 Octane petrol.

0-100kmph takes about 8.6 seconds, which standalone is quick but on par with mass market sedans that’re half the price. And that’s where this switch is a bit of a downer. Buying a 2-Series is a decision heavily driven by emotion. Someone buying this car is indulging and that’s what this engine doesn’t feel like - an indulgence. Sure, unlike most 3-cylinder engines, you don’t experience much by way of harshness or vibrations but a quick push to overtake on the highway and you can tell this engine note is missing something. It’s a thrum more than a hum. Since there’s no mild-hybrid, start ups are a bit gruffer than I’d have liked too.

The 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, though, is lightning quick. Lock it into sport mode and it changes gears with both urgency and finesse. And while it may not sound the best, this powertrain doesn’t hesitate when you need to hustle it and is delightfully impatient when you want it to be. 

Verdict

The BMW 2-Series isn’t and was never going to be for everyone. It still grabs attention with more ease than even its larger and more expensive siblings, feels very well built and blends the luxury experience with a heavy-set features-list. This new version also rides better than before and is a bit more India-friendly to live with. The only real criticism is the lack of emotional appeal to its engine. While it's functionally-sorted, it doesn’t hit the emotional note you’d want at this asking price.