BMW is adding to its successful coupe line-up with the new, sleek 2 Series Gran Coupé.

The car celebrated its world premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November last year, completing both BMW’s 2 Series line-up and the company’s four-door coupe range.

The success story of four-door BMW coupes began in 2012 with the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé, followed two years later by the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé. The new BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé has been available since September 2019 and first UK buyers of the 2 Series Gran Coupé are collecting theirs this week.

The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé features the latest front-wheel-drive and AWD architecture also seen in the BMW 1 Series, along with an array of other technological developments.

The new BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé will be available from launch with a choice of three engines – one diesel and two petrol.

A revised 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine will power the entry level BMW 218i, where technological advances have reduced CO2 emissions by 29g/km over the previous engine, while boosting maximum power output by 4hp to 140hp.

The BMW 218i accelerates from zero to 62mph in 8.7 seconds and can reach a top speed of 134mph. It will return 42.2-47.1 mpg (WLTP) with CO2 emissions of 123-114g/km (NEDC).

The 2.0-litre unit under the bonnet of the M235i xDrive is the BMW Group’s most powerful four-cylinder engine, delivering a maximum output of 306hp with the help of BMW TwinPower Turbo technology, which helps it to achieve the benchmark zero to 62mph sprint in 4.9 seconds, while top speed is limited to 155mph. The M235i returns 36.2-37.2 mpg (WLTP) with CO2 emissions of 153g/km (NEDC).

The diesel offering comes in the form of the 2.0-litre four-cylinder BMW 220d, which generates a maximum power output of 190hp and capable of sprinting from zero to 62mph in just 7.5 seconds on the way to a top speed of 146mph. The BMW 220d returns 53.3-57.6 mpg (WLTP) and emits 110g/km of CO2 (NEDC).

The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé comes in three variants: Sport, M Sport and the M Performance M235i xDrive with prices starting from £25,815 on-the-road.

Putting the brake on pollution

POLLUTION from tyre wear can be 1,000 times worse than what comes out of a car’s exhaust, Emissions Analytics has found.

Harmful particle matter from tyres – and also brakes – is a very serious and growing environmental problem, one that is being exacerbated by the increasing popularity of large, heavy vehicles such as SUVs, and growing demand for electric vehicles, which are heavier than standard cars because of their batteries.