New BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe Coming Soon: Specs, price and release info

We were sworn to secrecy at the time but we’ve actually already seen this new BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe after sneaking a peek of it on the launch for the latest 1 Series. The two are closely related under the skin, so much of what applies in our review of that car carries over here. Saying that, the Gran Coupe offers a very different look and will likely appeal to a different crowd.
• Where the 1 Series is your traditional premium hatchback the 2 Series Gran Coupe offers a slightly more glamorous twist on the same basic ingredients • If it follows the pattern of the 1 Series expect the choice of a front-wheel drive 220 Gran Coupe and top-of-the-range M235 xDrive Gran Coupe • Why no ‘i’ in the name any more? That’s because BMW is reserving that for its electric models from now on • Only the 220 Gran Coupe offers any form of hybridisation for now, this being a ‘mild’ electric boost to the 170 horsepower petrol engine • 300 horsepower M235 xDrive Gran Coupe has all-wheel drive, standard sports suspension, various M trimmings and can hit 0-62mph in just 4.9 seconds • Pricing starts at £34,915 for the 220 Gran Coupe M Sport, a chunk more than the £31,065 starting price for the 120 hatchback and just shy of £2,000 more than the same in equivalent M Sport trim.

While effectively a saloon version of the 1 Series BMW prefers the sexier sounding Gran Coupe name for the 2 Series, the sloping roofline, four doors and the pillarless windows within them all helping the sporty image. We’ll anticipate the product line-up will mirror that of the 1 Series, with M Sport for the 220 and the M Performance trim reserved for the M235 xDrive Gran Coupe. We didn’t get a chance to sit in the car when we saw it in Germany but we’d speculate the already cramped rear of the 1 Series may have an even lower roof here, the Gran Coupe designed for people who can afford to put style at the top of their priorities and more important than all-round practicality.

Like the 1 Series, which is a good thing in our book given the operating system powering the twin-screen instruments and infotainment is one of the best in the business in our experience. Crisp, configurable graphics for the driver and a logical and smartly designed interface for phone, navigation, entertainment and more via the central screen are all good, a version of the ‘Interaction Bar’ from fancier BMWs positioned below and with concealed ventilation therein. We also appreciate BMW sticking with physical controls for basics like volume and ventilation controls, plus the option to operate the screen via a physical control wheel rather than touch for the fact it’s easier to do this and keep your eyes on the road.

BMW has announced diesel versions of the 2 Series Gran Coupe as well but it seems to be following the lead of the 1 Series and these won’t be offered in the UK. For now it’s the option of a 1.5-litre three-cylinder mild hybrid petrol with 170 horsepower or the 2.0-litre, 300 horsepower with xDrive all-wheel drive in the M235. There’s unlikely to be an electric version, this role to be filled by the much-anticipated Neu Klasse

You can order your 2 Series Gran Coupe now for delivery in March 2025, prices starting at £34,915 for the 220 M Sport and £44,435 for the M235 xDrive.

BMW has had a busy year what with the 1 Series and X3 we’ve just driven. There’s no let-up next year either, with production ready versions of the Neu Klasse expected including an electric equivalent to that new X3.

Small four-doors may seem an old-school choice but we’ve been enjoying our freshly delivered Audi A3 Saloon long-term test car and this and the 2 Series Gran Coupe may be the start of a revival for this bodyshape. Watch this space!