Hot on the heels of the updated 1 Series, BMW’s latest 2 Series has been showcased with a sharper exterior design and more features than before.
As with the 1 Series, diesel engines have been eliminated from the range of available powertrains for the 2 Series, with only 220i, 230i and range-topping M240i xDrive petrol options remaining. Both the 220i and 230i are four-cylinder units while the M240i upgrades this to a six-cylinder setup. All models get an eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard, too.
Priced from £36,865 – excluding on-the-road costs – the new 2 Series is available to order now and receives a new pearlescent chrome finish to the radiator grille sound, while the side skirts and lower part of the rear apron are now finished in the same colour as the body, rather than gloss black as before. Two solid colours and seven metallic paint shades have been added alongside a pair of BMW Individual shades – Frozen Grey Metallic and Frozen Portimao Blue.
The tip-top M240i model has its own range of M-specific features, too, including high-gloss black inserts for the side air intakes and a black spoiler lip for the front apron.
All versions get 18-inch alloys as standard, while the M240i gains larger 19-inch light-alloy versions instead. Inside, the four-seater 2 Series retains the 12.3-inch main information display and 14.9-inch control display as before, running BMW’s latest Operating System 8.5.
BMW has also revised its go-faster M2 model. It gains a power hike of just under 20bhp, bringing the 3.0-litre straight-six’s total output to 473bhp. BMW says that it’s enough to get the M2 from 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds – or four seconds with the optional six-speed manual gearbox – before heading to 155mph flat-out, or 177mph when equipped with the optional M Driver’s Package.
Improvements have also been made to the accelerator mapping, ensuring that the new M2 feels more urgent to drive than its predecessor. Prices for the new M2 start from £63,360 excluding on-the-road costs.
