Mercedes bid adieu to the A-Class Hatchback and Sedan in Canada after the 2022 model year, and it looks like BMW is following suit by retiring the 2 Series Gran Coupe. While the compact car carrying the three-pointed star has been retired from the United States as well, that’s not the case with the F44 since you can still get the small luxury sedan in the US.
Contacted by Motor Illustrated, BMW Canada has yet to release an official response as to why its smallest sedan has been retired. The local configurator has already been updated to exclude the 2 Series Gran Coupe. Going forward, the cheapest model in the country will be the X1 from $45,800, followed by the 2 Series Coupe at $47,950. The compact-sized Gran Coupe was offered in both front- and all-wheel-drive configurations until the 2022 model year when the M235i xDrive remained the sole model.
Another small BMW built on a front-wheel-drive platform you can’t buy in Canada (or any other country for that matter) anymore is the X2. Production of the petite X model ended last year but a successor has been photographed multiple times undergoing testing. Codenamed “U10,” the baby crossover-coupe is expected to enter production near the end of the year, A fully electric iX2 is planned with dual-motor xDrive and single-motor FWD configurations.
Looking ahead, BMW insiders claim there will be a second-generation 2 Series Gran Coupe. Believed to go by the “F74” codename, the new four-door sedan is reportedly set to enter production in November 2024. The Mercedes CLA rival will once again spawn an M Performance version and all configurations will come with a dual-clutch automatic transmission. An adaptive M suspension, paddle shifters, illuminated grille, 19-inch wheels, and a Harman Kardon sound system are all planned.
Developed specifically for the Chinese market, a long-wheelbase 2 Series Gran Coupe (F78) is slated to enter production in early 2025. Let’s keep in mind BMW already makes and sells a stretched X1 in the People’s Republic where a long-wheelbase X5 was introduced last year. The 3 Series Li and 5 Series Li are also built there, with the former serving as the foundation for a purely electric i3 Sedan.
Source: Motor Illustrated