It’s all about that badge. BMW’s current entrylevel sedan for India, the BMW 218 Gran Coupe, has most of the DNA of its bigger siblings, from the styling to the driving dynamics. But who is it targeted at? To figure that out, I was invited recently to try out the BMW 218 Gran Coupe in Chennai. Here are some quick impressions about the car.
The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe has got a complete makeover. Not just a facelift, it comes with a new powertrain and additional features. The length of the BMW 218 GC has gone up by about 20 mm, and the height by 25 mm. The dimensions are 4,546 mm (L) x 1,800 mm (W) x 1445 mm (H). The wheelbase remains the same at 2,670 mm. The badging also has changed with BMW dropping the “I” from its petrol range, and reserving it instead for the EVs. It also gets a 19 mm increase in ground clearance to about 165 mm, which is adequate for most Indian roads.
Stylistically, a lot has changed with the BMW 218. The car gets new Msport 18inch alloy wheels shod with tubeless tyres (no more runflats). The front has been extensively redesigned, with a new headlamp design, LED signature lighting around the kidney grille and redesigned bumpers. The sheet metal is almost all new, but it does retain the iconic frameless doors with the coupe design. Boot space remains at 430 litres, while the rear gets new Cmonikered taillamps, a departure from the earlier slim taillamps.
What’s a big change is under the bonnet. The car is powered by a 1.5litre, 3cylinder, twinturbo petrol engine that puts out 156 bhp of power and 230 Nm of torque, mated to a 7speed dualclutch automatic transmission, driving the front wheels. Now, don’t go by the “small car” specs for the engine – this is a pretty capable unit, powering the car to 100 kmph in 8.6 seconds and a top speed of 230 kmph. A little more about how it drives further down in this report. Fuel efficiency? In small car territory, at 16.35 kmpl overall.
The interiors of the BMW 218 have been completely redone. It gets the driveroriented curved, dualscreen instrument and infotainment display, seen on its bigger siblings. It also has the Mcolour stitching across the dashboard and a proper MSport steering wheel. It comes with a dualpane panoramic sunroof and a 12speaker HarmonKardon sound system. It also gets a 360degree camera system and ADAS features such as lanedeparture assist, front collision avoidance, cross traffic alert, and reverse park assist (with memory for up to 50 metres distance) and reverse auto braking.
The front seats are powered but not ventilated. The dualzone aircon controls are now fully integrated into the touchscreen. And it gets paddle shifters for the transmission, with a unique “Boost” function that provides peak torque and power for 10 seconds, which is useful for overtaking manoeuvres.
Also read: BMW X1 Review: Almost the complete package
While admittedly, this is a baby BMW and it does detract from the “traditional” BMW layout of the drivetrain, it does retain a lot of the “joy of driving” character. When one thinks of BMW sedans, one thinks of rearwheel drive and excellent handling. The 218 has front wheel drive, which saves on space and weight. Yet, the incorporation of a limited slip differential and adaptive suspension dampers ensures that the 218 retains a lot of character.
Step into the 218 GC and you are greeted with a driverfocussed cockpit. Everything is ergonomically perfect. The seats have additional bolstering and thigh support. The engine sound is well damped at idle. However, when you rev it hard, you can hear a bit of that threecylinder thrum that comes into the cabin, but thanks to the 7speed DCT gearbox, the progress is swift. It has different drive modes, which alter the engine map and steering feel.
The paddle shifters give it a sporty edge, and one can enjoy a bit of enthusiastic driving. The “boost” function, where you hold back the left paddle for 3 seconds and get 10 seconds of peak power, makes you feel a little like you are in a Fast and Furious movie – with a NoS boost. For a frontwheel drive car, though, handling is pretty spot on. There’s not much understeer and the “meaty” steering wheel gives you a great feeling of control. The suspension absorbs rough patches pretty well, and it’s not as stiff as BMW suspensions usually are, yet it has just the right amount of flex. I took it off the tarmac a bit for a few photos, and the ground clearance and suspension handled gravelly surfaces easily.
The centre console has easytouse buttons next to the gear selector that pull up essential functions for volume for infotainment and the drive modes. The electronic parking brake engages and disengages automatically if you Park or drive off after belting up.
Once you’ve had your share of fun in the front seat, the frameless doors add to that style statement as you exit the vehicle. Yes, they do feel very delicate, though. The rear seat, however, isn’t the best place in this car. Headroom is limited, while legroom is adequate. It won’t seat three abreast easily, but is OK for two averagesized (below 5’9”) adults. Ideally, this is a car to drive, not be ferried around in.
Now, many would argue that the BMW 218 Gran Coupe isn’t value for money (prices are not out at the time of writing this, but should be around Rs 45 lakh). It has about the same level of power output and size as a Hyundai Verna, which is about a third of the price. However, what it does have is the class. It’s a style statement. It’s for those who want to flaunt that they have arrived in life – and it’s ideally for a younger buyer. It may not necessarily be the first car in the household, but it could be the car that someone in their early thirties would pick to make a statement. It is fun to drive, it retains that BMW character and, of course, the badge value. It’s the entry into the BMW family of cars – and one that could also appeal to midsenior level executives in corporate India, who drive themselves to work.
