BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe review

The fact is, the current generation of smaller BMWs has never quite hit the spot. The ingredients are there yet things have often felt a little half-baked in terms of driver interaction. The 2 Series sits on the UKL2 platform, the same underpinnings as you’ll find on the BMW X1 and the 1 Series. But a number of changes have been introduced aimed at enhancing the driving experience, especially if you spring for the M235’s M Dynamic Pack (it’s a £3,000 option).

There are reworked anti-roll bar mounts, bracing bars on the rear axle, and increased caster on the front wheels helps sharpen precision and agility. The M235 xDrive as tested includes the adaptive M suspension as standard, and has variable dampers with mechanically controlled shock absorbers. As ever with BMW, it comes down to choices, but there’s a decent car in the middle of all this somewhere.

What about the engine?

It runs the 2.0-litre M TwinPower turbo, which has had a number of upgrades recently, including redesigned intake ports and combustion chambers, a new crank, and tweaks to the turbo for improved charge air cooling.

It’s willing and revs hungrily enough but still sounds coarse under load. Whither the sweet song of an old-school BMW six-pot; blame the ever-tightening emissions regs. Zero to 62mph takes 4.9 seconds, while the top speed is 155mph.

Can I play with the chassis?

As in other BMWs, the MyModes menu allows you to cycle through various drivetrain (Comfort, Sport or Sport Plus) and dynamics settings (Sport, Sport Plus, DSC off). The seven-speed DCT is fine most of the time, but we prefer using the paddles to shift manually if the roads get more interesting. Hold the left-hand paddle to activate a Boost mode and you get 10 seconds of extra oomph.

The brakes are feelsome, the optional M Sport set-up netting you larger discs with four piston fixed calipers on the front axle. There’s masses of grip and it has a very pointy front end, but it could still use a dose more adjustability. Note that Michelin Pilot Cup 2 rubber is part of the Dynamics Pack. The 2 Series Gran Coupe’s relatively compact dimensions mean that it’s easy to place on the road, though, and visibility is also good.

Now for the usual caveat. We’ve only tested the M235 in Spain on roads that were all notably better surfaced than the abysmal ones we put up with in the UK, so we’ll have to reserve judgement on the ride quality until then. Experience with the mechanically similar M135 suggests that things might get a little uncouth, although many of the same criticisms can be levelled at the Audi S3 and Mercedes-AMG A35. But not the Honda Civic Type R, which manages to handle and ride sublimely.

On the flipside, we have driven the Gran Coupe 220 in the UK.

The not-hot one? What’s it like?

Er, well, not hot. With only 168bhp and 207lb ft to play with, it’ll nurse itself through 0-62mph in a leisurely 7.9 seconds. We wouldn’t go as far as calling its 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo gutless, but when you’re in a hurry there’s a lot of noise for not a lot of movement.

And if you think the M235 lacks dynamic ability… the 220 would get buzzed off Britain’s Got Talent barely three seconds into its Abba medley. The steering’s a bit numb and there’s some throttle lag as the auto ‘box sorts itself out, so when you push on it quickly gets frantic. There are hints of a sweet drive but it never fully invites you to participate. It’s that old Jeremy Corbyn line of ‘present but not involved’ all over again.

Instead, it fully embraces comfort – the driving position is superb and it’s refreshing to drive a BMW that isn’t so… taut – and if you lean into its care-free schtick it’ll reward you for it, with the miles ticking by without drama. Our test car displayed 33mpg but you’ll get far closer to its official claim of 53.3mpg once you’ve given up chasing the limits of its performance. The M235 will be a fair bigger drain on your debit card: 37.7mpg is the WLTP figure.