BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe review

Is it better to drive than the previous version?

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 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?

So far we’ve only driven the M235 xDrive. That runs the 2.0-litre M TwinPower turbo engine, 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. The roads on our test route to the north of Barcelona were all notably better surfaced than many of the abysmal back roads we suffer 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.