LA show: BMW reveals 2 Series Gran Coupe

BMW GROUP Australia has confirmed that the Munich brand’s first 2 Series Gran Coupe will go on sale locally in the first quarter of next year after its public debut at next month’s Los Angeles motor show.

 

As expected, the four-door liftback will be built on a front-wheel-drive platform shared with the brand new second-generation 1 Series, not the rear-wheel-drive layout of the current 2 Series Coupe and Convertible that are shaping up for a model change next year.

 

BMW promises this FWD set-up delivers sporty handling and agility after “careful integration of BMW’s latest front-wheel-drive architecture with sophisticated chassis engineering and innovative technologies”.

 

The fourth Gran Coupe in the BMW line-up after the 4-, 6-, and 8-Series models, the 2 Series Gran Coupe is 4526mm long and 1800mm wide, making it 94mm longer and 26mm wider than the two-door 2 Series Coupe.

 

The wheelbase is identical to that of the latest 1 Series at 2670mm, but that makes it 20mm shorter than the wheelbase of the current 2 Series Coupe and Convertible.

 

Despite this, the 2 Series Gran Coupe is said to have much more passenger-friendly accommodation, especially in the rear seat.

 

The boot holds a handy 430 litres of luggage. This can be expanded by dropping the 40/20/40 split-fold rear seats.

 

The direct competitor for Mercedes-Benz’s CLA has been revealed in sporty all-wheel-drive M235i xDrive form, but a wide range of variants will be offered, potentially up to and including a hot M2 and – reportedly – a plug-in hybrid 225e.

 

For now, the M235i xDrive will be the flagship. Armed with the hottest version of BMW’s 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, the M235i will employ 225kW of power and 450Nm of torque to race from zero to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds.

 

BMW Group Australia is keeping its powder dry on its variant selection for this market, but expect a selection of petrol-only powertrains to start with. Pricing is also being kept under wraps until closer to launch.

 

Images of the M235i xDrive released today show a pronounced rear lip spoiler above wide tail-lights similar to a number of new-generation BMW models. No wheel sizes were provided.

 

Likewise, the kidney grille gets the BMW design treatment, which is progressively becoming bigger and bolder. The M235i xDrive has a mesh insert, while lesser variants get horizontal slats.

 

Inside, A fully digitised instrument panel is shown, along with a wide touchscreen.

 

With the 2 Series Active Tourer destined for the scrap heap, the new-generation 2 Series range will comprise this Gran Coupe and the upcoming replacement 2 Series Coupe and Convertible from next year.