BMW is to launch the M2 Gran Coupé and the 2-series Gran Coupé line-up in international markets by 2019.
As for the body style of the new BMW, until recently, senior BMW officials were undecided whether to follow a traditional four-door design as seen on the 4-series and 6-series Gran Coupés or to adopt a more radical five-door liftback proposal for the 2-series Gran Coupé. Insiders admit that the four-door option would be the best choice for structural rigidity. However, they have also confirmed that certain officials are holding out for a liftback format, suggesting it would provide the new BMW with greater practicality than its rivals.
The wheelbase is set to be halfway between the 2,690mm span of the 2-series Coupé and the 2,810mm of the existing 3-series sedan, to accommodate two conventional front-hinged rear doors and sufficient rear-seat legroom. The 2-series Gran Coupé will also get a new interior that will be adopted by the successors to today’s 2-series Coupé and Cabriolet, which are due in international markets in 2020.
The 2-series Gran Coupé is expected to be powered by the same family of turbocharged three-cylinder and four-cylinder engines used by the existing 2-series Coupé and Cabriolet in international markets. Customers will have a choice of a standard six-speed manual or optional eight-speed torque converter automatic gearbox, as well as standard rear-wheel drive or optional xDrive four-wheel drive. However, the four-wheel drive will be only offered in combination with a limited range of engines.
The M2 version of the 2-series Gran Coupé is set to rival the likes of the upcoming Audi RS3 sedan and Mercedes-AMG CLA 45. The new M car will feature a longitudinally mounted engine and rear-wheel drive, as compared to the transversely mounted engines and four-wheel drive used by its rivals. BMW’s intention is that this format will help to provide its new M car with more engaging driving traits than its Audi and Mercedes-AMG rivals
The M2 Gran Coupé will be powered by the same 370.06hp, 3.0-litre, turbocharged, in-line six-cylinder engine as the M2 Coupé. BMW will offer the car with either a standard six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
BMW is also reportedly planning a plug-in hybrid model of the 2-series Gran Coupé that will use its turbocharged 1.5-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine mated to an electric motor mounted within the forward section of a standard eight-speed automatic gearbox. This, in combination with a lithium-ion battery pack, is intended to provide the new 225e Gran Coupé with an electric range of up to 49.88km.
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