While the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe might not be the most enthusiast-friendly car in the Bavarian lineup, it’s a car that’s important for the brand. Firstly, it’s better to drive than you might expect. Secondly, it’s a car that’s going to sell very well for BMW, thus making the brand a lot of money. Pricing for the US Market has just been released for both 2 Series Gran Coupe variants; the BMW 228i Gran Coupe and the BMW M235i Gran Coupe. For the entry-level model in the US, the 228i,pricing starts at $37,500, before $995 destination. As for the high-performance BMW M235i Gran Coupe, it starts life at $45,500 before a $995 destination fee.
That pricing puts the 2 Series Gran Coupe right in line with cars like the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan, when options are considered. So while it’s not exactly cheap for a small sedan, its pricing is par for the course in this segment.
Powering the BMW 228i Gran Coupe is a 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, making 228hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. That punchy four-pot is mated to an eight-speed Aisin automatic gearbox. That same gearbox is also used in the BMW M235i Gran Coupe, which also gets a 2.0 liter turbo-four but one that makes 301 hp and 332 lb-ft.
Both cars will come with xDrive all-wheel drive as standard in America, so there’s technically no fear of BMW selling a front-wheel drive sport sedan here. Having said that, the xDrive system 2 Series Gran Coupe is based on a Haldex setup, so it can’t send more than 50 percent of engine power to the rear wheels and it only does that in more extreme circumstances. Most of the time, both cars are front-wheel drive.
As for performance, BMW is claiming that the 228i hits 60 mph in 6.0 seconds flat, while it should take the M235i about 4.6 seconds. Both times should be a touch quicker in the real world (as Germans always underrate their power figures) but it feels about as quick as BMW claims.
While it might not be cheap, the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe comes with quite the array of standard equipment. LED headlights will be standard on even the 228i. An 8.8-inch infotainment screen is also standard, with a larger 10.25 inch screen as an option. The latter also comes with BMW’s Live Cockpit Profession, the brand’s digital instrument panel. The BMW M235i gets a Torsen limited-slip differential at the front axle as-standard, which is actually very impressive and extremely helpful.
All BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe models also get same near-wheel actuator system, dubbed ARB, as the BMW i3. They also get EDLC (Electronic Differential Lock Control), which is actually a bit of a lie, as it’s really a system that uses the brake-torque-vectoring to simulate an actual mechanical locking differential with the DSC off.
As far as 2 Series Gran Coupe color options go, the BMW 228i will get Black Sapphire Metallic, Melbourne Red Metallic, Mineral White Metallic, Mineral Grey Metallic, Seaside Blue Metallic and Storm Bay Metallic, in addition to the standard Alpine White and Jet Black. The optional M Sport Package also brings some new colors; Misano Blue Metallic and Snapper Rocks Blue Metallic.
While the BMW M235i Gran Coupe gets Alpine White, Black Sapphire Metallic, Melbourne Red Metallic, Mineral Grey Metallic, Misano Blue Metallic, Snapper Rocks Blue Metallic and Storm Bay Metallic.
The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe is an interesting car because it’s quite nontraditional for BMW, in terms of its layout and configuration. However, it’s still fun to drive, just in a different way. So if you can get your head around the idea of a different sort of BMW, you actually will like it. If you can’t, you probably won’t.
