BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe review

Prices are barely different from a 1 Series hatch. The 118i starts at £25,815 – not that much for a quality coupe, but rather a lot when for something that wants the biggest part of nine seconds to get to 62mph. It's £37,225 for the M235i xDrive.

Even from launch, BWW is chipping in £2671 to the deposit on a 218i. That engine is 123g/km on the new WLTP protocol. The 220d is down to 110g/km on its smallest wheels.

Trims for the 218i and 220d are Sport and M Sport. The £2500 for that trim upgrade looks like a bit of a bargain, given the number of cosmetic and infotainment goodies it brings. Plus you get lowered suspension and sharper brakes.

That said, you can easily manage without the M Sport's big-screen package, and here's why. This is the first BMW with Android Auto, and cleverly it can integrate the phone's navigation arrows into the instrument screen. It also has CarPlay as standard on all versions.

All versions also get LED headlamps, and all-round parking sensors. And their basic navigation system is still connected for traffic. The stereo is 100W, the air con automatic and dual-zone.

The range of driver-assist systems, even with the optional package, isn't as comprehensive as a Mercedes', and some of them are a bit trigger-happy.

The warranty runs for three years and unlimited miles.