The Drive Report: BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the BMW 2-Series was always meant to remain a hatchback. That upswept shoulder-line always asked to be swiftly truncated for the form to look truly sporty. The old 2-Series Gran Coupé, as a result, didn’t look particularly sporty. It’s something BMW has clearly attempted to address so the new 2-Series Gran Coupe doesn’t look like an afterthought or the lowest common denominator of BMWs.

With that out of the way, let’s look at what drives the 2 GCs appeal. It is your entry into the highly-coveted BMW club and it certainly looks the part now. It’s lines may not flow into each other seamlessly but the new LED headlamp signature, the glowing kidney grille, the new 18-inch alloys all point to a machine that, while not peak BMW, carries all the essential building blocks of its DNA to be a truly wholesome and desirable car. Redesigned to have greater road presence, better performance and comfort, the new 2-Series Gran Coupe – one of BMW India’s most significant launches this year – has a greater emphasis on digitisation and tech.

Bigger and better 

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In its M-line trim, the new 2-Series really looks the business. Blacked-out bits on the grill, the air dam and the wing mirrors gives it an aggressive, stealthy vibe and the sharp-edged tail lamps are straight out of a legit M-car. The proportions are still a bit odd, much like they are with the M5 but it certainly commands your attention and looks premium. It’s also larger and taller than its predecessor with 20mm having been added to the length and 25mm to the overall height. This comes as a front-wheel drive car only, and the focus is more on tech than creature comforts so don’t expect any ventilated seats.

Interiors

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The inside also receives a comprehensive overhaul. Some find the steering wheel a bit too chunky, but I personally loved every detail in the new 2 GC. The embroidered M-line threads on the dash could be reconsidered, but the 2-Series’ cockpit, while sparse, does focus on ergonomics and fundamentals to further optimise its iDrive interface. There’s no gear lever, just a toggle switch that allows you to engage drive. But a button underneath it allows you to modulate the severity of the ADAS function from the lane departure warning steering vibrations to how early you want front-collision avoidance to kick-in. It’s simple and easy to use. You can even unlock  the car through a digital key on your phone’s wallet should you wish to. The 2 GC also gets an improved Parking Assistant and a new 360-degree camera that allows you to switch the 3D camera angles so parking is a breeze. A 10.5-inch information display and a 10.7-inch horizontal touchscreen allow you to tweak temperature (no physical button), modes (which has a physical button) , SatNav and more.

DRIVE: 

On paper, a 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine (the only powertrain option it gets) doesn’t sound particularly impressive. Especially for a bonafide luxury car, which will have a bonafide luxury car price tag. With 156 hp on offer, along with 230 Nm of torque, the engine does top the pyramid of 3-pot motors, but does it feel like a BMW? My past experience with 3-cylinder engines is that they vibrate a bit too much at higher revs and generally fail to deliver on thrills. But I was pleasantly surprised by how more than adequate this engine feels. Yes, it does make a bit of noise when you mash the throttle, but engaging the car’s “Boost” function (by pressing down the left paddle shifter) does allow the mild-hybrid starter generator to provide some added thrust, allowing the 2GC to gain speed fairly quickly, but not without effort.

Where this car truly excels is its ride quality. BMW has reworked the front suspension so it’s an aluminium-mounted unit now. The brand claims to have made the chassis a bit more taught and that, along with a more rigid rear axle and tweaks to the anti-roll bar mounts has resulted in a phenomenally supple ride quality without compromising on the cornering prowess of this car. Yes, it’s a front-wheel-drive car so it’ll never be as much fun as an RWD BMW, but the ride on the new 2-Series is exceptional. Even though it was driven on a relatively smooth surface, there were undulations that I expected my spine to register and the 2 GC simply swallowed them whole.

Verdict

Unlike the Mercedes-Benz A-Class Limousine, the 2 GC doesn’t seem to be the lowest common denominator of the BMW brand. It has a way of shrink-wrapping itself around you. Yes, by BMW standards, the interiors will feel comparatively sparse given the quality we’ve come to expect. But the new BMW OS interface is so intuitive and easy-to-use you aren’t going to feel short changed when you pay a premium for badge value. Admittedly, the number of people looking for a sportier alternative to the X1 are far and few, and a 3-pot engine may not be the best way to lure them in. But the 2 GC, niche though it be, is still a thrilling ride.