REVIEW: F44 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé in Lisbon

At long last, BMW finally has an answer to the Mercedes-Benz CLA, and it’s the F44 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé. Our man Jonathan Lee (Jlee, as he goes by) recently sampled the compact four-door coupé in Lisbon, Portugal, and for those wondering, he’s in the pink of health. Never better, in fact.

Okay, back to the car. Unlike the 2 Series Coupé, the 2GC shares the same FAAR front-wheel drive platform as the 1 Series and outgoing 2 Series Active/Gran Tourer. We’ll let Jlee (himself a design undergraduate) explain the car’s “unique” styling approach in the video, but know that the car features the automaker’s latest suite of gadgetry, including the Intelligent Personal Assistant voice control and the Digital Key.

The 2GC is available with a number of turbocharged engines, with the base 218i variant being powered by the latest B38 1.5 litre three-potter. It makes 140 hp and 220 Nm of torque, while an overboost function delivers an extra 10 Nm in fourth gear and higher. The zero to 100 km/h sprint is done in 8.7 seconds before hitting a top speed of 215 km/h. Depending on the market, this engine is paired with a six-speed manual gearbox or seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

At the top of the range is the M235i xDrive, utilising BMW’s most powerful four-cylinder engine yet – an uprated B48 2.0 litre unit that makes 306 hp and 450 Nm. It does the century sprint in 4.9 seconds before hitting the limiter at 250 km/h. Unique features include a sports auto gearbox, a mechanical Torsen limited-slip differential, a strut tower brace, additional strengthening around the front subframe and centre tunnel, and standard M Sport steering, brakes and suspension.

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