BMW took the wraps off the next generation 2022 BMW 2 Series today, in the form of 230i and M240i xDrive. The new compact sports coupes stick to their roots as a rear-wheel-drive two-door car, but an all-wheel-drive will also be available. The new 2 Series Coupe has grown bigger in size and comes with two turbocharged engine options. It will be available in the US later this year with a starting price of $37,345 (roughly Rs. 27.9 lakh).
Looks and styling are subjective, but I hope it won’t be over-exaggerating if I say that the new 2 Series Coupe is the best looking BMW on German automaker’s current line-up, thanks to the comeback of the more conventional BMW grille. It features vertically arranged air flaps instead of the classic bars. With the omission of the infamous massive kidney grille, the front of the new 230i and M240i xDrive matches the rest of their bodies’ proportions.
The wider grille is surrounded by a single-piece frame in a chrome finish on the BMW 230i Coupe and in cerium grey on the BMW M240i xDrive Coupe. The front face gets a low front bumper, and the bumper design on the BMW M240i xDrive Coupe looks even more aggressive with a black front spoiler. The new full-LED headlights sit on the outer edges just below the bonnet line. These head units also contain U-ish shaped daytime running lights and integrated turn signals.
On the sides, the roofline swoops down from the B-pillar to the short trunk lid. Both the new 2 series offerings have grown in size. The second-generation BMW 230i Coupe has now extra 4.3 inches added to its length, while it also gets wider by 2.6 inches. While its height has been trimmed by an inch, the new 230i has a 2 inch longer wheelbase than the previous generation model.
On the other hand, the new BMW M240i xDrive has also grown in size by 3.5 inches in length, 2.6 inches in width. It also gets a 2-inch longer wheelbase than the last generation of the M240i xDrive Coupe.
Thanks to the increased length, the new generation BMW 2 Series gets a long hood, but with a short overhang on the rear section as it rests on the powerfully flared wheel arches. Talking of those prominent wheel arches, the new BMW 230i Coupe comes equipped with standard 18-inch light-alloys while the M240i xDrive Coupe gets 19-inch M light alloys as standard.
Coming to the rear, the styling is sporty but elegantly classy at the same time. The section flaunts compact rear light units with rearranged LED light functions. The BMW M240i xDrive Coupé even gets distinctive design M Sport specification accents. BMW claims the chassis technology on the new Series coupes has been borrowed from the BMW 4 Series as a re-tuned frame, which gives them improved agility with better steering precision and cornering dynamics over the predecessor models.
Unlike the 2 Series Gran Coupe which is a transverse-mount engine front-wheel-drive platform, the new 2 Series offers a rear-wheel-drive platform.
The BMW 230i Coupe gets a revised 2.0-litre 4-cylinder BMW TwinPower turbo engine. It is capable of churning out 255 hp of power and 400 Nm of torque. It is powerful than the previous model by 7 hp and 50 Nm of torque. The BMW 230i Coupe can do a 0 to 100 kmph sprint in just 5.5 seconds and comes with a top speed of either 209 kmph or 250 kmph, depending on the specification selected.
The BMW M240i xDrive Coupe on the other hand gets a more powerful, 3.0-litre inline 6-cylinder BMW TwinPower Turbo engine that can produce 382 hp, which is a bump of 47 hp over the previous model. It also gets a marginal increase in torque output with 500 Nm of peak torque. The new M240i xDrive is also faster, clocking 0 to 100 kmph sprint in just 4.1 seconds.
Both these engines are mated to an eight-speed Sport Steptronic transmission, offered as standard in all new BMW 2 Series Coupe models.
Stepping inside, the new BMW 2 Series Coupe comes with a more premium cabin and a driver-focused design. There are standard features like sport seats and sport leather steering wheel. The dash area gets an 8.8-inch digital touchscreen display, that comes with all modern connected feature tech. The driver gets a 5.1-inch instrument display that has analogue gauges. BMW has packed in the 2 Series with BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, BMW Digital Key, navigation, real-time traffic information, and Remote Software Upgrades, among many others.
The new coupes also get an optional BMW Live Cockpit Professional upgrades the instrument cluster to a 12.3-inch fully digital display and increase the standard 8.8-inch centre control display to 10.25-inches. The infotainment systems are compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The 2 Series sedan competes with the likes of Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz A-Class. At present, there’s no official word on the 2-door coupe arriving in India but we are hopefully expecting it at our shores with the M2.
[tie_slideshow]
[tie_slide]
[/tie_slide]
[tie_slide]
[/tie_slide]
[tie_slide]
[/tie_slide]
[tie_slide]
[/tie_slide]
[tie_slide]
[/tie_slide]
[tie_slide]
[/tie_slide]
[tie_slide]
[/tie_slide]
[/tie_slideshow]
