2025 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe review – first 2GC did better than expected; easy win for second-gen F74?

I was wrong about the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe. When the original 2GC was launched in Malaysia in 2020, this writer thought: Who would buy a small BMW sedan that isn’t a 3 Series? And one that’s nowhere as good looking as the icon, too.

That initial impression was born from a soft spot for the 3 Series, and my doubts about the original 2GC’s design. Its face looked cartoonish, and I personally don’t like sedans with rising beltlines and a high boot. And that rear end – it was weird, to say the least. It’s no longer jarring now due to familiarity, but I still wouldn’t call the F44 pretty.

In contrast, the just-replaced Mercedes-Benz CLA was a pretty car. Compared to the stunted and caricature-like original CLA, the second-generation C118 looked like a true junior CLS thanks to better proportions and a perfectly curved roof made popular by the original CLS, the pioneering ‘four-door coupe’. I can’t think of many pairings where I’d pick Merc over Munich, but this is one.

However, BMW products/designs have a very good record against the opinions of ‘car guys’ (remember the reaction to Bangle-era models?), and true to form, the 2 Series Gran Coupe proved to be a success in our market. BMW Malaysia says that it sold over 4,500 units of the 2GC over four years, and that tally exceeded their expectations. The junior Gran Coupe is now a common sight in upmarket neighbourhoods.

Which means that a sequel is inevitable. This second-generation 2 Series Gran Coupe retains the same template but updates the package with the latest available tech and fully-revamped looks that addresses some of the more controversial parts of the original design. While introducing new ones?

The F74 is just a touch larger than before. While the 2,670 mm wheelbase and 1,800 mm width are unchanged, overall length is up by 20 mm to 4,546 mm, and height is up 25 mm to 1,445 mm. A recipe for sportier proportions that is not, but at least the extra height is offset somewhat by bumper length. The 2GC looks quite tall for a sedan aspiring to be a coupe.

This face is all-new to us in Malaysia as we don’t get the latest F70 1 Series hatchback, which first surfaced in mid-2024. The 2GC’s front fascia follows the F70, with a ‘two-tier’ arrangement for the headlamps and grille – the slim ‘eyes’ (note the vertical DRLs) sit a fair bit higher than the kidney grille (Iconic Glow illumination available) and the lights are connected by a hood shutline that’s rather high up/far back.

Looks are subjective, of course, but I feel that the 2GC is pretty sensitive to angles – it looks decent in some (from a higher point, for instance) and not very flattering in others (head on or from a low angle). Do you like the new face?

The F74’s profile is characterised by rising lines that meet a smooth sloping roof, which is vital for the coupe claims. A nice touch is the ‘2’ embossed in the Hofmeister kink, as per the latest 5 Series. The 2GC’s sides are rather high, but measures have been taken to break up the visual mass. While our Fire Red M Sport tester’s 18-inch wheels appear large for such a compact body (fits up to 19s!), the 2GC never looks ground hugging like a 3 Series does.

It’s at the back that the new 2GC differs the most from the one we know. They’ve gone for a more conventional look this time, with a well defined ‘forehead’ housing the BMW logo, and the number plate and tail lamps housed one floor below.

We were told that the rear logo has been enlarged for this application (there’s a lot of height to cover here), and it became one of those things that you won’t notice, but can’t unsee. Further down, there are no visible pipes, which are reserved for the quad-tipped M235 xDrive with 300 hp.

Personally, I’m not a big fan or rising lines and a high backside but it’s always tricky to pen a booted car from a compact hatch, and there’s also a lot of rear end canvas to fill here. Considering the boundaries – literally and metaphorically – I think Munich did a good job. They are calling the 2GC’s appearance ‘particularly extroverted’ – do it speak to you?

The 2GC’s new cockpit, shared with the F70 1 Series hatch, should be more universal in appeal. I think that it’s a very nice place to be in – both as a comfortable ‘workplace’ and in a visual/tactile sense. Aside from the drive (more on this later), the 2GC’s interior is one of its strongest selling points against price point rivals, IMO.

Now, the previous 2GC’s cabin wasn’t a bad one, far from it, but this new interior feels more modern, more premium. Once again, Munich manages to blend tech requirements (the beautiful BMW Curved Display has made it here, powered by the latest BMW OS 9) with a traditional BMW driver focus. Scroll down and take a moment to look at the cockpit again – the ingredients may be vastly different, but this is the same recipe used by your favourite old 3 Series.

To deliver this clean, minimalist look, BMW deleted the two rows of physical buttons – HVAC and audio – under the air con vents, which itself is now just a hollow. The controls are tucked away underneath; while this looks neat, directing air to where you want it to be felt is no longer a straightforward affair. This, along with the need to jab the touchscreen every time you want to change AC settings (audio controls aren’t so missed as they’re duplicated elsewhere), is the cost of beauty.

The job cuts extend to the centre console, which sees the axing of two main elements. No more iDrive controller (all touchscreen now) and traditional gear lever (replaced by a notch).

The space vacated by the iDrive dial now houses audio controls for the front passenger. Makes sense in a left-hand-drive car, as the touchscreen is angled towards the driver and is a far reach for the co-pilot. However, this arrangement isn’t flipped in RHD cars, which means that gear selection and push start is closer to the passenger than the driver, which has audio next to his/her thigh – not so ideal.

Lately, the BMW Group has been getting creative with ambient lighting patterns/methods and trim design – I’m thinking of the ‘backlit crystals’ in higher end BMWs and the knit fabric dashboards and spotlight illumination in MINIs. There are fascination points in the 2GC too, despite it being a starter model.

Before we set off, 2GC project chief Bernd Ofner (he was also in charge of the 1 Series) walked us around his baby and shared some cool trivia.

The air vent surrounds are milled aluminium pieces stamped with illumination holes in the M Sport variant you see here – open the door, and you can feel the raw metal edges of the trim pieces, a cool way to show off the authentic material. Apparently, BMW had to create a new production process for this.

Noticed the M-coloured detailing on the dash? ‘Proud dad’ Ofner whipped out his phone to show me a video of the stitching done by a craftswoman. In an age where even intelligence is artificial, these are surprisingly bespoke touches in BMW’s most affordable model. Very impressive, and cool trivia too!

Off into Barcelona’s city traffic we went, and I found it really annoying to not have auto brake hold – it’s surely there, somewhere, but I just couldn’t find the button or menu! Turns out that brake hold is hidden in a the ‘My Mode’ button that groups together single use functions and memorises your preference, along with auto start-stop.

BMW’s logic is for a button that’s likely to be used only once, there’s no need for a separate plot; since they needed the demister and camera to be on the panel (features that are likely to be used more often), a decision was made to remove auto hold and auto start-stop into a grouping – I went from annoyed to ah, that makes sense.

The car you see here is a 220 Gran Coupe. Not 220i, just 220. Did you know that the ‘i’ we’re familiar with in BMW model names was created over 50 years ago to denote cars with fuel injection? The letter was later used for Munich’s EVs, and we now have the it in two different types of cars. BMW dropped the ‘i’ mid last year with the F70 1 Series, but diesel-powered cars continue to have ‘d’ in their names.

Anyway, the 220 is a mild hybrid, with an electric motor (20 hp/55 Nm) integrated into the transmission, and a small 0.96 kWh battery residing in the boot. They assist the main player, which is a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo engine with 156 hp and 240 Nm of torque, available from 1,500 to 4,400 rpm.

As before, the 2GC sits on BMW’s UKL2 platform, so the transversely-mounted B38 sends drive to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Total output is 170 hp and 280 Nm, which pushes the four-door from 0-100 in 7.9 seconds. Top speed is 230 km/h.

We initially thought of the 220 as a replacement for the 218i, but it won’t be so for Malaysia, which will get a carryover engine without the 48-volt mild hybrid package. Our F44 218i had 140 PS, 220 Nm, a 0-100 km/h time of 8.7 seconds and top speed of 213 km/h. As there’s no extra battery in the boot, cargo volume remains at 430 litres instead of the 220’s 360L.

The 2GC 220 is a great partner in the city, thanks to good refinement and insulation. If you’re worried about three-cylinder vibrations, don’t, because you won’t find any disturbance at this level, even with auto start-stop active. The hybrid assistance is also seamless as it does its thing in the background, saving you petrol without announcing its presence. Mild, as they say.

The 220’s 7.9s 0-100 km/h time sounds quick – in fact, that’s not far away from hot hatches, but the BMW doesn’t feel GTI-fast when you really step on it. It’s no laggard, but the response of the gearbox and the subsequent force of acceleration are a little subdued, and we’re not even comparing with EVs.

Personally, I’m fine with brisk instead of explosive, and what matters more long term is a car’s driver appeal and ride-handling balance. Our M Sport tester’s seats were supportive and comfortable (steering is too thick for my liking, though) and the ‘adaptive M suspension’ cuts very little slack in body control. Lots of grip, very little body roll.

While technically not wrong, the term ‘adaptive’ might be misleading as the absorbers adapt mechanically, not electronically; these are frequency selective dampers, basically, and they come with 8mm lowering. The F74 also features increased rigidity of the body structure and chassis connections, optimised kinematics and an increased caster offset of the front wheels for improved straight-line stability.

There were hints of the inherent firmness of the M Sport FSD suspension over speed bumps but the 2GC was a comfortable ride throughout our Catalan route, combining well with the good cruising refinement (frameless doors, let’s not forget). But as always, roads in the Iberian Peninsula are significantly smoother than ours, so it remains to be seen if the new setup is as well balanced on wavy highways and bumpy B roads. We’ve been fooled before.

A note on the rear space, which is adequate for my average 175 cm frame, with the front seat set to my driving position. For any car with a ‘coupe’ in the name, you’ll be zooming into the headroom, and I just about fit sitting straight up. If you’re a tall person in a tall family, you might want to try the 2GC out for size first. Elsewhere, the seats are well designed (base not too short, good height) and it doesn’t feel claustrophobic at the back, which can happen with style-driven designs.

So, are we looking at another round of expectation-exceeding success for the 2 Series Gran Coupe in Malaysia?

We won’t know what’s expected of the F74, but the landscape has changed since the last one debut. Electric happened, and cars like the Tesla Model 3 and BYD Seal can be had for below RM200k. Those two are ‘techier’, much faster and sleeker than the 2GC, which can’t even counter with price as it’s burdened with regular ICE taxation. And we haven’t even opened the can of SUVs – RM200k buys you a lot of car these days.

Sure, not everyone is into EVs, but even if you – like me – aren’t ready for the switch, it’s hard to unsee the amount of specs and performance these EVs offer for the money, even though we accept that it’s an unfair comparison. The 2GC is a starter BMW, and I suspect that its target market in 2025 are the kind that will fall for giant screens and ballistic acceleration.

I’ve been wrong before on the 2GC and I’d be happy to be wrong again with the F74, because it’s a good drive, a more satisfying steer than the electric sedans mentioned above – you should at least try the 2GC out before deciding. And nowhere is it an outdated car, unless you’re the kind who thinks that ICE is dead and we’ll all be driving EVs in 2030. Let me be wrong again.