The old 2 Series Gran Coupe was far from being one of the most exciting BMWs in the lineup. The “F74” picks up where the “F44” left off since it probably won’t wow you either. However, that’s to be expected from a compact car serving as the entry point into Bavaria’s vast portfolio. Its role is to generate volume and help BMW maintain its status as the best-selling luxury automaker.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but we reckon the exterior design has been greatly improved. New images show an attractive build in Fire Red with the M Sport Package. It’s not the range-topping M Performance model. Instead of the M235 we’ve typically seen in official images, it’s a lesser 220 with a three-cylinder engine. But this is not the base 2 Series Gran Coupe, either. That role goes to the 216 with a detuned iteration of the same “B38.” The 1.5-liter unit makes 168 horsepower in the car featured here and only 121 hp in the basic version.
Although it starts off as one of the cheapest F74 versions, this car, which was photographed by BMW, does not skimp on options. It rides on 18-inch, two-tone wheels and has a contrasting black roof and optional adaptive LED headlights. Inside, it gets several goodies, such as the sports seats and an anthracite headliner. The 2 Series Gran Coupe has been configured with everything from a heated steering wheel to a head-up display.
You’d be surprised by how much money one could spend on options, even for BMW’s smallest sedan. However, there are certain features that you sadly won’t find in the configurator. The physical controls for the climate settings are gone, and so is the traditional iDrive rotary dial. Echoing its 1 Series hatchback sibling, the 2 Series Gran Coupe adopts a simplified interior layout by emphasizing the curved display.
The problem with cheaper luxury cars is that the more options you add, the more you’ll step into the pricing territory of the model from a segment above. In this case, that would have to be the 3 Series, which turns 50 this year. Looking at it from another angle, if you’re set on getting a 2 Series Gran Coupe, it can be configured to look as nice as this 220. But don’t say we didn’t warn you – a fully loaded M235 can cost as much as €75,000 in Germany if you go crazy with the configurator.
Speaking of which, configurators have been up and running for many weeks. However, the car’s market launch isn’t happening until March. BMW started production of the 2 Series Gran Coupe at the Leipzig plant in Germany in November 2024.
Photos: BMW
