The new BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé arrives in its second generation in entry-level 218 petrol guise. Does it offer the sporty and elegant experience of a premium compact sedan? We headed to Chennai to have a go in the newest locally assembled Bimmer.
The new BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé is positioned as the sporty compact four-door sedan model for those who find the venerable 3 Series too big or too expensive. Aspirational value is something gaining more ground in India. Badge value is thriving and there is no shortage of people willing to splurge big money for a car with a badge they can flaunt—along with the new crop of must-have features, snazzy LED lighting, panoramic sunroof, and big screens inside. Engine? Doesn’t matter. If it moves and moves fairly quickly, job done, right? Thus, BMW India have nailed it with the introduction of the India-exclusive 218 Gran Coupé M Sport.
The second model generation of the four-door 2 Series now emphasises BMW’s hallmark qualities. An increase in presence and dynamic performance in the design gives the new 2 Gran Coupé a more exciting appearance. There are new features and several changes, including enhanced suspension technology and innovative systems for automated driving and parking.
The exterior design of the new BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé is defined by an expressive front section, with hints of Neue Klasse lines and elements, and an elongated silhouette and an aesthetically re-styled rear. The 218 Gran Coupé gets standard Adaptive LED headlights with vertical elements for the daytime running lights and turn indicators. These feature a glare-free matrix high beam with blue accents and cornering light function. The wide kidney grille is positioned below the line of the headlights and features the “Iconic Glow” illuminated surround. It gets a structure of vertical and diagonal bars inside, with a large air-dam below.
The side profile is defined by the long bonnet, short overhangs, and a flowing roof-line. At the rear of the elongated side window is a embossed “2” highlighting the characteristic Hofmeister kink. The new BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé rides on 18-inch light alloy wheels with 225/45 tubeless tyres. The rear, too, has a modern appearance with an ample surface structure broken up by just a few lines, flat LED tail-lights, and integrated exhaust tail-pipes.
Overall, the length has gone up by 20 millimetres to 4,546 mm, the width still remains 1,800 mm but it is 25 mm taller with a height of 1,445 mm; this also comes from a 19-mm higher (164-mm) ground clearance—much needed for Indian driving conditions. The wheelbase stays the same as before at 2,670 mm. That figure is particularly intriguing as it matches the Hyundai Verna while falling short of its primary competitor, the Mercedes A-Class Sedan, which has a wheelbase of 2,729 mm; although numbers aren’t everything.
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