It’s been more than a year since we spotted the
first BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe prototypes, with only one other sighting reported
in January of 2018. As you can see
in the photos, the Mercedes CLA rival is now wearing its production bodywork,
although we can’t make much of it because of the heavy camouflage.
Furthermore, the prototypes also feature what appear
to be production-ready headlights and taillights. The light units are still
partially covered, of course, but they allow us to add some more pieces to the
2 Series Gran Coupe puzzle.
At the front, the headlights appear to have a
teardrop shape and feature the familiar hexagonal rings. As for the taillamps,
they definitely use LEDs, but their shape is a bit hard to decipher right now. First rumored to feature a
rear-wheel-drive platform, the 2 Series Gran Coupe has adopted the
front-wheel-drive architecture of the upcoming 1 Series family. Of course, the
xDrive AWD system will be offered as an option or as standard with the most
powerful engines. BMW is said to have ditched plans for a RWD layout because
that would have made the car too expensive and too similar to the 3 Series.
The 2 Series Gran Coupe is approximately 4.5-meters long, roughly the same length as the current 2 Series Gran
Tourer. Bridging the gap between the 1 Series Sedan and 3 Series Sedan, the 2
Series Gran Coupe is also BMW’s answer to the upcoming Mercedes-Benz CLA.
When the 2 Series Gran Coupe debuts sometime next
year, it will offer a range of 1.5-liter three-cylinder and 2.0-liter
four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines. Unlike the current 2 Series Coupe
and Cabriolet, the five-door model won’t offer six-cylinder power plants.
The range-topping M235i model, likely the one you
see in these shots, will use the 2.0-liter turbo-four that recently debuted in
the X2 M35i. As a result, the M235i Gran Coupe will offer 302 hp and 450 Nm of torque.
Cr : Carscoops
