Item: BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe
Rating: 3

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Behind the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe is a bit of marketing genius. Small saloons don’t tend to be very popular in Europe. When was the last time you saw a four-door version of the Ford Focus or Renault Megane?

Call it a Gran Coupe, however, and it suddenly sounds a lot classier. Mercedes does a similar thing with the A-Class. It does sell an A-Class saloon, but most people’s minds will go straight to the swoopier but more expensive CLA, which postures as not a mere saloon, but a coupe.

You may or may not buy into the 2 Series Gran Coupe’s schtick as an artisanal, locally sourced and grass-fed 1 Series, but technically, it simply is a 1 Series saloon. That got a very thorough facelift a few months ago, and now the same changes have come to the 2 Series Gran Coupe.

BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé line-up at a glance

The UK gets just three powertrains for the 2 Series Gran Coupe. Diesel leaves the range leaving two mild hybrid petrols and a high-performance version. In the UK, M Sport is the only trim level, to which a number of option packs and separate options can be added

Version	Power
220	167bhp
223 xDrive	215bhp
M235	296bhp

Verdict

bmw 220 gran coupe 2025 Review front corner 30

Model tested:

Rating: 6

BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe

A high-quality interior and an economical powertrain mean the 2 Series Gran Coupe holds some premium appeal, but it doesn't have the ride and handling balance we expect from a BMW.

Good

High-quality interior

220 is economical

Has the seat comfort and driving position you expect of a bigger car

Bad

Uninspiring engines

Annoying technology

Ridiculously firm ride

DESIGN & STYLING

Pros

Choice of three- and four-cylinder engines, and the option of four-wheel drive and mild hybrid power

Cleaner than before

Cons

New look still won't appeal to some

No plug-in hybrid or diesel

BMW actually calls this an entirely new generation of the 2 Series Gran Coupe, to the point where it has even assigned it a new chassis code: the old one was the F40, the new one is the F70 (Any similarity to Ferraris, living or dead, is purely coincidental). But look closely at the silhouette, the body panels and the engines on offer, and you will quickly realise that it is simply a heavy update.

And it really is quite comprehensive. Like the 1 Series, the 2 Series Active Tourer, and combustion-engined Minis, the 2 Series Gran Coupe uses the natively front-driven UKL2 platform. However, BMW claims that it has managed to increase the structure’s rigidity, in addition to the visual updates. The car has also got 20mm longer, though that comes from the redesigned bumpers, since the wheelbase remains the same.

With the demise of the old 218i Gran Coupe, the only manual BMWs left on sale are the Z4 M40i and the M2 – two expensive M cars.
Illya Verpraet
Road Tester

As we’ve seen with the updated BMW X3, BMW is on a visual detox regime, and as a result, the new 2 Series Gran Coupe sports much less fussy detailing than its predecessor. The front end is now smoother, the sides have fewer lines, and the rear end has lost its distinctive ducktail spoiler. BMW has even done away with visual exhaust pipes on all versions apart from the sporty M235.

On the chassis side, the suspension has been revised with more rigidly mounted components and frequency-selective dampers. BMW slightly disingenuously calls them ‘adaptive’, but they are passive dampers whose valving reacts differently to high- and low-frequency inputs. There are no driver-selectable modes for the suspension. The stability control has been refined as well.

The powertrain line-up has seen some major changes too. Diesels are out in the UK, leaving just three petrol options. In Germany, BMW continues to offer a 218d and a 220d, as well as an entry-level petrol 216.

Petrol versions have lost the ‘i’ in their model names because petrol power is now the default, rather than because the 220 has adopted a carburetted 2.0-litre straight six (it hasn’t).

Instead, this entry-level version is an evolution of the old 218i, with the same 155bhp 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder, just now boosted with mild hybrid tech. This involves a 0.96kWh li-ion battery under the boot floor and inside the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox there’s a 20bhp electric motor that can regenerate up to 15kW. Together, they make a healthy 168bhp.

The next step up is the 223 xDrive, which replaces the old 220i and uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder with the same gearbox and mild hybrid system for 215bhp. It also adds a clutch-based four-wheel drive system.

At the top of the range sits the M235 xDrive, whose mechanical package is the least altered. It sticks with an unhybridized but higher-output version of the 2.0-litre turbo and a mechanical limited-slip differential on the front axle. However, it has slightly less power (296 vs 302bhp) and torque (295 vs 332lb ft) than before.

This is partly due to emissions demands, but we suspect the new gearbox is a factor as well. All versions drive through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, including the M235, which used to have an eight-speed torque converter ‘box. Those tend to cope with high torque better than dual-clutches. Manual gearboxes are out entirely.

INTERIOR

Pros

Good material quality

Excellent driving position

Usable rear legroom

Cons

Infotainment system is overloaded, unintuitive and slow

Very few physical buttons

Mild hybrid battery has shrunk the boot

The inside of the 2 Series Gran Coupe follows the 1 Series hatchback in the way it has been re-styled with an added dose of perceived quality, but it has shed a lot of its buttons (including the famous rotary iDrive controller).

In fact, if you materialised in the driver’s seat of the Gran Coupe and didn’t look back, it would be hard to tell which of the two you were in. As such, we won’t go over all the details again here and would instead direct you to our comprehensive BMW 1 Series review.

You can no longer get leather upholstery on the 2 Series Gran Coupe, but our test car had Oyster (white) ‘Veganza’ synthetic leather, and I couldn’t tell it wasn’t the real thing.
Illya Verpraet
Road Tester

In short, build quality, material richness and the driving position are top-notch and justify the 2 Series Gran Coupe’s positioning as a compact premium car. However, user-friendliness leaves much to be desired. Almost everything is on the touchscreen, which has some confusing menus, small ‘buttons’ and can sometimes be slow to respond, particularly first thing in the morning.

Thanks to the transverse engine layout, rear legroom isn’t too far removed from a BMW 3 Series’. However, headroom is fairly restricted due to the sloping roofline.

The adoption of mild hybrid power has had a negative effect on boot space, reducing the volume from 430 litres in the old 218i to just 360 litres in the 220 and 223. It’s a fairly usable space with a flat floor, and an underfloor compartment, however. The M235 retains 430 litres since it’s not a mild hybrid.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Pros

Plenty of power in the M235

220 engine is quiet and refined in most circumstance

Mild hybrid system works well

Cons

M235 doesn't sound all that inspiring

Automatic gearbox is slow and clunky

220 engine reveals itself eventually as a three-cylinder, and doesn't much like revs

220's rivals have four-cylinder engines

bmw 220 gran coupe 2025 Review rear corner 34

So far, we’ve tried the M235 on the international launch and the 220 in the UK.

In the sporty range-topper, power is delivered smoothly and the car’s seven-speed Steptronic transmission is quick to change up yet slow to change down. BMW’s turbo four doesn’t sound particularly endearing, but it won’t be left behind by a Mercedes-AMG CLA 35.

In recent BMWs and Minis, you need to put the car into Sport mode (either via the drive modes, or with the gear selector toggle) to see a rev counter. Otherwise it gives you an EV-style power meter, which is pointless and irritating in a piston car.
Illya Verpraet
Road Tester

The three-cylinder 220, meanwhile, has clearly had plenty of sound insulation and tuning devoted to it. As a result, it tends to be fairly quiet and doesn’t overtly sound like a three-cylinder in relaxed usage.

Thanks in part to the mild-hybrid assistance, it is fairly unfussy about being driven at low revs, and has enough accessible torque to provide a good amount of stress-free acceleration.

However, when you put your foot hard down for an overtake or to merge onto a busy dual-carriageway, the gearbox is reluctant to kick down and the 220 can’t muster any particularly authoritative acceleration. Selecting a lower gear manually only proves that the automatic gearbox was right all along: you’ll find little more at the top end of the rev range than noise. We timed a 120 at 7.7sec to 62mph, which is quick enough – the car just doesn’t feel it.

The start-stop system works unintrusively, restarting the engine smoothly at a moment’s notice.

RIDE & HANDLING

Pros

M235 has plenty of grip and traction

220 has good grip, and some handling adjustability

Quiet at a cruise

Cons

M235 is quite inert

Incredibly firm ride

Not much life to the steering

Although a standard version is offered in other countries, UK-market 2 Series Gran Coupes are all in M Sport trim, because that’s what people were buying anyway. The problem is that this also includes lower, firmer suspension, and in the UK, this gives the Gran Coupe a particularly irksome ride.

It’s fairly well-damped and not harsh or crashy, but it just never settles down. You get tossed about on B-roads, and even the motorway, there are constant up and down motions, to the point where it takes some concentration to hit the right icon on the touchscreen when you want to turn up the temperature.

The seats and driving position are very comfortable, despite the lack of adjustable lumbar support, and the cabin remains fairly quiet at a motorway cruise.

The stiff suspension does at least give the 2 Series Gran Coupe a good deal of incisiveness on a twisty road, with a notable absence of body roll. The DSC Sport Plus stability control setting also lets the car rotate on a trailing throttle, giving the handling a bit more depth than most hatchbacks and saloons.

However, we’re not convinced that this was really worth sacrificing so much comfort for. The suspension is so firm that the car can get deflected on particularly bumpy roads. There’s also not much in the way of ebb and flow of weight to the steering, making it far less interactive than you might expect from the Ultimate Driving Machine.

We’ve not tried the M235 in the UK yet. When we drove it on the international launch, we found it to be capable, with plenty of grip and traction, but similarly short on engagement.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

Pros

Cheaper than premium rivals

220 is quite economical

Cons

Mazda 3 offers more value

Prices start at £35,705 for the 220 in M Sport trim. For the 220, that’s cheaper than the equivalent CLA 200 AMG Line Executive and similar to the equivalent Audi A3 Saloon 35 TFSI S-Tronic. The 223 is around £3000 more than the 220, but neither Audi nor Mercedes offer a direct equivalent.

At £31,305, the Mazda 3 Saloon undercuts all of them, while feeling like no less of a premium product.

The M235 comes with a substantial price hike, at £45,855. That still undercuts the Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 and the Audi S3 Saloon, but not the VW Golf R or Cupra Leon Estate VZ 333.

When we drove the 220 in the UK, it proved impressively efficient, averaging about 50mpg. Then again, you’ll get similar from the mild-hybrid VW Golf, and more from the full hybrid Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic.

VERDICT

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 6

BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe

A high-quality interior and an economical powertrain mean the 2 Series Gran Coupe holds some premium appeal, but it doesn't have the ride and handling balance we expect from a BMW.

Good

High-quality interior

220 is economical

Has the seat comfort and driving position you expect of a bigger car

Bad

Uninspiring engines

Annoying technology

Ridiculously firm ride

Whether the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe is a good buy very much depends on which version you’re looking at and what you expect from it.

The standard 220 holds some appeal as compact premium car that’s less expensive than a 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class or Audi A5. The interior feels high-quality, the driving position is great and the mild-hybrid three-cylinder is quite economical. But make no mistake: Its rivals all offer four-cylinder engines, and a VW Golf is just as economical, more comfortable, better to drive and since its facelift, easier to use.

Meanwhile, the M135 xDrive is supposed to add driving fun, but mainly just adds speed. That will be a selling point for some, but it doesn’t have much of an edge over its rivals. The Mercedes-AMG CLA35 and Audi S3 Saloon are just as fast and not massively more expensive. The latter also rides better and is more fun thanks to its clever rear diff.

TECHNICAL SPECS

Model tested:

BMW M235 xDrive Gran Coupe

Price:

£44,435

Engine:

4 cyls in line, 1998cc, turbocharged, petrol

Model tested

BMW M235 xDrive Gran Coupe

Price

£44,435

Engine

4 cyls in line, 1998cc, turbocharged, petrol

View all specs and rivals

Power

296bhp at 5750rpm

Torque

295lb ft at 2000rpm

Kerb weight

1575kg

0-62mph - claimed

4.9sec

Top speed (claimed)

155mph

Fuel economy

37.7mpg

CO2

170g/km

BIK tax band

37%

Rivals Audi S3 Sportback Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 Mazda 3

Power

296bhp at 5750rpm

Torque

295lb ft at 2000rpm

Kerb weight

1575kg

0-62mph - claimed

4.9sec

Top speed (claimed)

155mph

Fuel economy

37.7mpg

CO2

170g/km

BIK tax band

37%

Rivals Audi S3 Sportback Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 Mazda 3

Illya Verpraet

Title: Road Tester

As a road tester, Illya drives everything from superminis to supercars, and writes reviews and comparison tests, while also managing the magazine’s Drives section. Much of his time is spent wrangling the data logger and wielding the tape measure to gather the data for Autocar’s in-depth instrumented road tests.

He loves cars that are fun and usable on the road – whether piston-powered or electric – or just cars that are very fit for purpose. When not in test cars, he drives an R53-generation Mini Cooper S.