BMW 220 Gran Coupé: Exotic with three-cylinder in the driving report

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If you are interested in a 2 Series Gran Coupé, you belong to a minority. This is because the saloon, which shares its technical basis with the 1 Series, has so far been denied any major success in this country. It also seems questionable whether the facelift, which BMW is touting as a new car, will change this. After all, the intervention did not go too far. We drove the 220 Gran Coupé, which is a rather clever choice within the model range.

First of all, the 2 Series Gran Coupé is one of the now not-so-luxurious options for getting a new BMW for less than 40,000 euros. At least in theory, because in practice you would have to stay very close to the base for that, and few BMW buyers do – even in the case of the 2 Series Gran Coupé. As in the 1 Series, front-wheel drive is also standard in the saloon, while the two most powerful petrol engines are only available with all-wheel drive. The last two versions with manual transmission have been history since October 2024. Now all have a dual-clutch transmission with seven gears.

Recommendation: 220

The current range consists of two diesel engines and four petrol engines, with power outputs ranging from 90 to 221 kW. The 216 and 220 versions use the same 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine, and despite a surcharge of 5000 euros, we would give preference to the more powerful version. With 35 kW, it promises more temperament and is even slightly more economical in the cycle. Only it has a 48-volt starter generator to support the petrol engine. In the technical data, BMW specifies 115 kW and 240 Nm for the three-cylinder engine, while the electric motor contributes up to 15 kW and 55 Nm. Here too, the system output is not the result of the addition of both drives, but is slightly lower at 125 kW and 280 Nm between 1500 and 4400 rpm.

Fuel consumption

This mild hybridization helps fuel consumption in the cycle. The 216 with 90 kW is specified with 5.9 to 6.3 liters in the WLTP, in the 220 it is 5.2 to 5.7. This may not be a huge difference, but on the other hand more than 0.5 liters difference with an identical engine base is not to be sneezed at. The battery itself has an energy content of 0.9 kWh, which is perfectly sufficient for load point shifting on a small scale. The aim is to operate the combustion engine more frequently than under ideal conditions.

The three-cylinder engine performed well on our test drive. At 7.9 s in the standard sprint, it takes two seconds off the base model, and the top speed is only reached at 230 km/h. Of course, the two top-of-the-range models set themselves clearly apart, but this extra performance must be worth considerably more money to the customer. With an entry-level price of just under 60,000 euros, an M235 is already poaching in the range of a BMW i4 base model, which offers a similar level of performance.

A powerful sound

Under load, the three-cylinder engine of the 220 sounds a little strained, which somewhat masks how fast the saloon actually is. The dual-clutch transmission always shifts gears appropriately and unobtrusively. It is also cleverly geared, which makes the combustion engine's job easier. Overall, apart from the sound under load, the result is a harmonious drive source. It offers noticeably more power than the base model, so much so that you can easily do without the more powerful versions.

Sports suspension

The car that was available for this first drive was equipped with an M  sports package including the corresponding suspension. As expected, there is an increased level of feedback here, although BMW cuts the peaks quite skillfully. The steering is sufficiently precise, although of course it no longer has anything to do with what once characterized the brand in this respect. When the front wheels have to manage directional changes and drive forces, the manufacturer has no choice but to dampen them. After all, it is one of the more pleasant front-wheel drive models.

New infotainment

The facelift brought with it a generational change in infotainment. The 2 Series Gran Coupé now features the OS9. It differs from its direct predecessor in that the switch to an Android core means that the selection in the app store is much larger than before. Apart from that, the system works very quickly, is extensively equipped and is surprisingly intuitive to use as far as possible. Instead of two separate displays, both are now combined under one glass.

Limited space

The rest is largely familiar from its predecessor. The workmanship is very meticulous and the choice of materials does not reveal any major flaws. I recommend treating yourself to the sports seats, which are considerably more comfortable than the standard seats in the least expensive equipment line. The amount of space in the front is okay, but in the rear it gets quite cramped, especially around the head, even for average-sized adults. At 360 liters, the trunk in the mild hybrid holds 70 less than in the 216 without the e-booster. In general: the Gran Coupé offers a rather sparse amount of space in a length of 4.55 [m]. If this point is important, you will find numerous alternatives, even at BMW. The X1 or 2 Series Active Tourer have similar dimensions, but are more spacious.

Prices

The 2 Series Gran Coupé is currently available from 36,400 euros, the 220 costs 41,400 euros. As is so often the case, this is of course only the starting price. A few thousand more is quickly added to the price. With what most customers will order, a 220 comes pretty close to the 50,000  euro mark, and it's no great effort to exceed it. If you look at the usual BMW price structure, this can hardly be the reason why so few customers are buying. My suspicion is that European customers are unfamiliar with the somewhat high-legged design. However, so little has changed in this area that 2 Series Gran Coupé drivers can pretty much rely on continuing to drive an exotic car.

(dahe)