Six years ago, Mercedes missed the notchback sedan with the CLA a dash of cool. Now pulls BMW and brings the 2 Series Gran Coupe at the start. The compact sedan with the sloping roof is a challenge to the CLA and the Audi A3.
BMW will complement its model range in the newly renovated compact class with a four-door coupé sedan next year. Premiere celebrates the 2 Series Gran Coupe at the Los Angeles Auto Show (22 November to 1 December). In the German dealers, the four-door is in March at prices from 31,950 euros.
The technology shares the upcoming competitor of the Mercedes CLA with the new 1 Series. Unlike the also announced two-door 2 Series Coupe with rear-wheel drive, the four-door gets so front-wheel drive. Nevertheless, the typical BMW proportions with a long bonnet are retained.
On classic coupe elements wearing the 4.53-meter-long compact sedan, including frameless side windows and a flat roofline, further upgrades compared to the one there in the form of specially shaped rods in the kidney grille, standard LED headlights and far inward drawn rear lights.
Two petrol engines, one diesel
As with the 1 Series BMW promises for the 2 Series, compensate for the fundamental driving dynamics disadvantages of the front-wheel drive-by special suspension handles and techniques. For example, the slip control sits directly in the engine control unit instead of the more distant ESP control unit, which enables faster signal transmission. So should be limited to the driven front wheels typical understeer in the curve.
The most powerful models also get four-wheel drive, the sports version also a mechanical cross-lock. With the chassis, the customer has the choice between the standard tuning, a sports version and a variant with adaptive dampers.
The engine offer consists of the launch of two gasoline and diesel. In the base model works a 140-hp 1.5-litre three-cylinder (218i), as diesel is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder with 190 hp ready (220d). The top model is the M235i with a 306-hp 2.0-litre four-cylinder gasoline engine, the Munich-based compact family has replaced the familiar from the old 1 Series six-cylinder engine.
The power transmission takes over in the 218i a six-speed manual gearbox, at extra cost is a dual-clutch transmission with seven gears to have. In the other variants, an eight-speed automatic converter is used.
The most important competitor of the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe is the recently launched Mercedes CLA of the second generation, which starts with a 136-hp petrol engine from 31,475 euros. In the broader competitive environment is also the Audi A3 sedan for 26,700 euros in the 116-hp basic version. Compared to the two competitors, the Golf offshoot is positioned more conventionally and dispenses with coupé elements and the associated surcharges.