The runt of the gran coupe litter, the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, now resembles its bigger brothers a lot more as it enters its second generation for 2024. Being front-drive and a sedan certainly didn’t endear it to anyone that bled M, and nothing’s changed here but at least it loses that hideous bulbous shape.
BMW’s current stable won’t be winning any beauty pageants but credit is due to the designers for each model having their distinct look, and not just resizing the faces and sticking it on every model like their peers.
In that sense, the 2024 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe borrows plenty of cues from the new 5 Series but stop shorts of looking like a miniature version of the 5er. It’s grown in height and length, but the width and wheelbase remain.
The M Sport look is now standard in certain markets, so you’ll find black exterior trim and larger intakes below the kidney grilles. BMW announced that the option to illuminate the outline of the grille will be available next year. The headlights are LED items. Just like the 5er, the number “2” is embossed on the more pronounced Hofmeister kink.
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Initially, two variants will be available; a 228i and M235i. The 2.0-litre mill has been reworked to be more fuel efficient but still make more ponies. That’s 241 hp and 400 Nm of torque in the 228i. As for the M235, expect 312 hp and the same 400 Nm of torque. Both cars will have a new seven-speed dual-clutch box instead of the previous eight-speed automatic.
On the handling front, the chassis has been revised by making it stiffer and new suspension components for improved response and ride comfort. Adaptive dampers are standard but if you’re worried about the costs down the road, passive dampers are available at no extra cost. There will be all-wheel and front-wheel drive layouts available.
Part of the M Sport package includes 15.2-inch front rotors bitten by four-piston calipers, and floating single-pot brakes on 13.0-inch discs in the rear.
Inside, it’s a humongous dash-hogging screen that’s a combination of a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.7-inch touchscreen for infotainment under the same piece of glass.
The infotainment runs on BMW’s latest iDrive 9 software that includes extensive voice-assist features as well as wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Other standard fare includes a 12-speaker Harman Kardon stereo, cloud-based navigation, keyless entry and wireless charging.
Other standard kit comprises heated front seats with a massaging function, a head-up display, blind-spot monitoring and lane-keeping assist. You’ll need to fork out extra for adaptive cruise control and remote 3-D camera views.
