The BMW stable in India has a new entry point for its customers in the form of the 2 Series Gran Coupe. Priced between ₹37.90 and ₹42.30 lakh, it is available with a diesel engine in the ‘220d’ guise and a turbo-petrol engine in the ‘220i’ guise, the latter being the focus of this review.
Having a coupe-like silhouette, aggressive design elements and frameless windows all around, the 2 Series is squarely aimed to appeal to a younger set of buyers. While the design, layout and several bits of the cabin are top-notch, space is not its strength.
The front seats have plenty of adjustment and this M Sport version also offers adjustable side bolstering; however, those with larger body frames will find these a snug fit. Though the upright backrest angle of the rear seats is not much of a concern, the lack of headroom for rear occupants coupled with a small rear glass area, could make the back seat experience quite cramped.
‘X1’ underpinned
The 220i is available in two variants — Sport and M Sport. As standard, the 220i comes with a panoramic sunroof, auto LED lights, 17-inch alloys, 2-zone climate control, and powered front seats.
The top-spec M Sport trim gets 18-inch alloys, wireless charging, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with gesture controls, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and more, additionally.
The 2 Series Gran Coupe is based on the UKL modular platform, so this BMW shares its underpinnings with the BMW X1 and all the models from Mini.
The bigger talking point however, is that this is the first BMW sedan in India to be available as a front-wheel drive.
Shared with the larger 330i sedan, the B48 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine powers the 220i, making 190hp and 280Nm of torque.
Transmitting power to the front wheels of the 220i is a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission; the same configuration as the BMW X1 petrol.
On comparing the specs of the 220i and 220d on paper, both make 190hp but the petrol makes 120Nm of torque lesser than the diesel, clearly tilting the balance in favour of the diesel. However, the 220i is smooth and refined, and because of its free-revving character it will spin till 6,800rpm with ease.
Complementing this engine is its dual-clutch automatic gearbox that seamlessly upshifts and keeps the engine spinning optimally.
Put your foot down, however, and you will catch the dual-clutch transmissions off-guard, so there is a momentary pause before the gearbox reacts and downshifts to get going.
You will find yourself reaching out to the steering-mounted paddles often to drop down ratios, especially when in a hurry.
Cheaper twin
The 220i M Sport gets three drive modes: ‘Comfort’ is the default setting; ‘Eco Pro’ is the most efficient mode where the engine coasts in neutral at steady speeds; and in ‘Sport’ mode it will hold onto lower gears a lot longer for brisk acceleration and crisper throttle responses. A sportier exhaust note is sorely missed, however.
Equipped with launch control, BMW claims a 0-100kph time of 7.1 seconds. But with a significant amount of wheel spin in the first two gears, the best time we achieved was 7.39 seconds, identical to the 220d’s timing.
In terms of dynamics, the 220i’s steering feels direct, the turn-in is sharp, and you can point it into corners with a high degree of confidence. Its darty nature paired to its high-revving, strong engine makes the 220i exciting to drive. As with the case of the 220d diesel, road and tyre noise are quite intrusive while on the move, something not expected in a car of this price.
At ₹40.90 lakh for the fully loaded 220i M Sport version, the car does not spell ‘value for money’ as the more rounded and more powerful BMW 330i which costs ₹1.50 lakh more. But the 2 Series’ appeal lies in its snazzy styling, compact dimensions and fun-to-drive character. That the turbo-petrol version is smooth, quick and a bit more affordable than its own diesel counterpart only strengthens the 220i’s case further.
