BMW unveils its new 2-Series Gran Coupe, an entry-level 4-door sedan-cum-coupe conceived to rival the Audi A3 sedan and recently introduced second-generation Mercedes-Benz CLA.
The 4-door model will be introduced to the North American market in 2020, with the price-leading all-wheel-drive 228i xDrive set to start at about $35,000, some $6,000 less than the existing rear-wheel-drive 330i, according to BMW officials.
Unlike the existing 2-Series Coupe and Cabriolet, which are based on BMW’s rear-wheel-drive CLAR platform, the new 2-Series Gran Coupe uses BMW’s front-wheel-drive FAAR platform – the same structure found beneath the X1 and X2 crossovers. It is compatible with transversely mounted 3- and 4-cyl. engines only and provides the scope for either front- or all-wheel drive.
Despite sitting on a front-wheel-drive platform, the 2-Series Gran Coupe has been styled to resemble BMW’s more traditional rear-wheel-drive sedans with a sporting profile characterized by a long hood, curved roofline and short trunk. Inside, the new BMW shares its interior with the recently unveiled 1-Series hatchback, a model not offered in the U.S.
At 178.2 ins. (4,526 mm) long, 70.9 ins. (1,801 mm) wide and 55.9 ins. (1,420 mm) tall, the 2-Series Gran Coupe is 7.2 ins. (183 mm) shorter, 1.0 in. (25 mm) narrower and 0.9 in. (23 mm) lower than the latest 3-Series sedan. It also rides on a wheelbase put at 105.1 ins. (2,670 mm), some 7.0 ins. (178 mm) shorter than the 3-Series sedan.
BMW has confirmed just two 2-Series Gran Coupe models will be offered in North America from the start of sales in 2020: the 228i xDrive Gran Coupe, whose turbocharged 2.0L gasoline 4-cyl. kicks out 231-hp, and the more sporting M235i xDrive Gran Coupe, which uses the same engine in a higher state of tune developing 306 hp.
Three different gearboxes are planned: a 6-speed manual, 7-speed dual-clutch automatic and 8-speed torque-converter automatic, the latter reserved exclusively for the M235i xDrive Gran Coupe.
The German automaker has not yet revealed performance figures for the U.S.-only 228i xDrive Gran Coupe, though it claims a respectable 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of 4.8 seconds and 155-mph (250-km/h) top speed for the M235i xDrive Gran Coupe – figures that see the top-of-the-line 2-Series Gran Coupe model directly competing against the Audi S3 sedan and Mercedes-AMG CLA35 for outright accelerative ability.
