BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe – Road Test Review – Baby BMW?

If you want to own a BMW the lineup starts with the 3-series for India. Now BMW has got the 2-Series Gran Coupe here which becomes their most affordable and entry level car model for our market. We drive this latest gorgeous looking German car to find out if it has all the traits that the car maker is known for and does it live up to the brands value. Read our road test review of the BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe 220d right here.

Food for Thought

The 2-Series Grand Coupe (F44) is based on the 1-series that BMW had got into India a few years back. The car has been in production since 2014. Currently in its second generation the 2-Series also sells as the Active Tourer and Gran Tourer body styles in some countries. The 2-Series competes with the upcoming Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan and the Audi A3 Sedan.

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Exteriors

The 2-Series Gran Coupe is an eye candy from the outside in terms of design, styling and road presence. The car has all the style characteristics of the elder brother’s. The car comes with tons of character and is a complete head turner. Upfront the 2-Series Gran Coupe gets the latest generation large sized kidney grille finished in chrome surrounds while the 14 vertical slats get satin silver finish along with glossy black surrounds. The front bumper in typical BMW styling is low slung and gets a wide air dam in black finished neatly integrated. The bumper also gets some sharp character lines that define it. You also get this glossy black insert on the extreme ends with neatly integrated horizontal design white fog lamps. The all LED headlights get sharp BMW Corona rings along with some very premium looking detailing in them. The nose of the 2-Series is long and highlighted with the BMW logo that adds to its grace.

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The bonnet comes with soft character lines that run backwards towards the windshield in typical BMW pattern. The side profile is typical BMW styled with long slim fenders, sharp waist line, neat sounded door handles, large wing mirrors in dual tone. The key highlight on the sides is the frameless doors which when closed look neatly flushed into the bodyline. The 2-Series also gets running board cladding in dualtone color. Being a Gran Coupe the roof line on this 2-Series slopes down and mates with the boot area very gracefully. The car we tested was with the M-Kit which gets cosmetic add-ons which include M dual tone sports alloys, M badging on the fenders, blacked out window sills etc. It cant be a BMW if it does not have the Hofmeister Kink on the C-pillar and the 2-Series Gran Coupe does have it rather prominently completing the overall BMW styling for the sides.

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At the rear the 2-Series Gran Coupe gets the smaller version of the 3-Series inspired LED tail lights making things very smart here. Other styling elements on the rear include, very well designed rear bumper with air intakes and many design lines defining it, boot lid with sharp body lines running across it, glossy black styling on the lower section of the bumper and the stylish round exhausts in chrome placed on the either. The roof gets a shark fin antenna along with the panoramic sun roof.

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Interiors

Step inside the 2-Series Gran Coupe and you are in very familiar BMW zone. The styling in here is like the latest generation 3-Series but in smaller dimensions. The dash is typical BMW like made of premium soft touch material. You also get a hand stitched panel on it adding to the premium feel. The key highlight on the dash is the innovative trim strip that has inbuilt LED glow pattern which can be customized between 6 color options. In the day time they appear like normal inserts but at night they glow with super neat looking ambient lighting. You get these inserts in all the four door panels too. The centre dash is highlighted with the 10.25-inch touch screen AVN system that comes loaded with all the latest connectivity options including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The display also doubles up as a screen for the parktronic cameras and other detailed drive mode settings etc. You also can control this system using gesture control, i-Drive dial and voice commands – “Hey BMW”.

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The instrument cluster on the BMW 220d is in the form of a 10.25 inch full color digital display that BMW calls as the Live Cockpit Professional. This crisp and clear unit reads out all the needed tell tales needed for your drive, you also can see the navigation map screen here along with the Music album art if and when needed. The display color also changes on this display with the change in driving modes. The steering is typical BMW styling with a three spoke design, leather wrapping and metal inserts around the MFD control buttons.

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The seats get premium leather upholstery with the front seats getting full electric adjust for height, reach and lumber too. You also get manual adjust for under thigh support. Seating here is very comfortable though the width of the cabin is a bit narrower as compared to the 3-Series.

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Entering the rear seats of the 220d does take some effort as the door does not open very wide. Once in you notice the sloping roofline intruding your head room. Leg room is decent while the shoulder room is good for two passengers only. The 2 Series is more of the front seat driving pleasure and the BMW feel that it gives. The rear seat folds down in 40/20/40 split configuration. You get rear AC vents to add to the comfort levels. The 220d gets a boot capacity of 430 litres with easy and wide loading area.

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Engine – Drive – Transmission

Powering the BMW 220d Gran Coupe is the BS-6 4-Cylinder 2.0L Twin Turbo Diesel engine which makes 190bp of power and 400Nm of peak torque. This engine comes mated to the 8-speed Steptronic sport transmission. This is the same power plant that also powers the  3 Series but on the 220D it has a better power to weight ratio. The other difference is that here on the 2-series it is in the front wheel drive form.

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On the move you get the typical BMW drive feel. The power delivery is immense and instant with the wheels going in for a spin if the throttle is given judiciously. The steering feels very well weighted tuned to the heavier side in Typical BMW fashion. The drive position is perfect and the overall feel is very positive.

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You also get the BMW drive modes to choose from which include – Comfort – Eco Pro– Sport. These modes alter the steering weight, suspension setting and the engine response largely. You also can set your own individual setting if you wish too. Also included is the Auto Start/Stop feature which is very sensitive and shuts the engine even is the throttle is left for a second.

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BMW has also included the ARB technology that features a slip control system positioned directly in the engine control unit instead of in the control unit for the DSC function (Dynamic Stability Control). Without long signal paths, information is passed on three times faster, with the regulation speed perceived by the driver actually being up to ten times faster. The gear shifts are seamless and you also can over ride the auto shifts using the paddle shifter to enhance your drive pleasure and stay in control.

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The overall drive feel is typical BMW styled and very sporty. You will fall in love the way the BMW 220d drives seamlessly and effortlessly.

Verdict

The BMW 220d Gran Coupe becomes the most affordable BMW in India which means it will now be more accessible to a larger spectrum of buyers. The 220d feels typical BMW, drives like one and carries all the typical BMW traits that will make many aspiring buyers dreams come true.

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Words – Ritesh Madhok
Photography & Video – Govind Gadekar