BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer

While the cabin of the BMW 2-Series Gran Tourer is not as feature-rich as that of the other high-spec BMWs, it scores highly in terms of top-notch quality feel and sophistication. There are some carried out bits from other BMWs, whereas there are a couple of other bits which are exclusive to the 2-Series Gran Tourer.

The three-spoke multi-functional steering wheel with silver surrounds for the spokes is something which we have already seen on already existing cars like the 1-Series and 3-Series, and so is the boring looking analog instrument console sitting in a trapezoidal housing with a curved upper edge. The 8.8-inch pop-up style infotainment system looks different from that in other BMWs with its sharply tapered sides and angular edges, and the AC vents below it too look quite sleek here.

The center console here gets a panel for the dual-zone automatic climate control, and below it flows the cascading transmission tunnel which surprisingly gets controls for the infotainment system on it. While the upper dashboard gets soft-touch black leather upholstery with contrast red stitching, the center console gets an overload of piano black finish.

Compared to all the other new-generation BMW cars available alongside it, the BMW 2-Series Gran Tourer looks too simple and less flashy, but it is every bit a BMW design with some of its design cues shared with its other stablemates.

Take for instance the front profile of the BMW 2-Series Gran Tourer. The sloping bonnet and front grille look very much like that of the more affordable BMW 1-Series, and doesn’t look much like that of a traditional MPV. The double kidney grille, with chrome surrounds and vertical inserts within them, is in its simplest form here among all the BMW offerings.

The wing-shaped sweptback headlamps too look distinctive and pack in dual LED projectors and V-shaped daytime running LEDs below them. The blackened garnish around the fog lamps on the front bumper is perhaps the only sporty looking design element on the outside of the BMW 2-Series Gran Tourer.

The side profile of the BMW 2-Series Gran Tourer has been designed in a very van-like manner, with a sloping bonnet, large windows (including the quarter glass ahead of the rearview mirrors) and simple rounded wheel arches. To instil some premium appeal, the BMW 2-Series Gran Tourer gets chrome surround for the entire window frame as well as a sharp character line flowing till the edge of the tail lamps.

At the rear, the BMW 2-Series Gran Tourer gets a simple design which looks very familiar, as the wing-shaped LED tail lamps are something which we have already seen on the higher-spec models like 5-series Gran Turismo. Here too, the slightly vertical looking rear windscreen creates a strong impression of this vehicle of being a true MPV.

The BMW 2-Series Gran Tourer is one of those models from BMW, which have taken a different route from the renowned models, by having a front-wheel-drive layout for the drivetrain. The overall suspension feels comfortable too and is easily one of the plushest suspension setups one can find in a BMW.

The engine and gearbox combination powering the BMW 2-Series Gran Tourer is a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine paired to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. This engine is the smallest powertrain in the BMW lineup, and here in the BMW BMW 2-Series Gran Tourer 218i, it makes 137 PS of power and 220 Nm of torque, which sound quite low for a seven-seater vehicle like this.

The BMW 2-Series Gran Tourer is loaded with sufficient amount of safety features like front, side and curtain airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, traction control, electronic stability program, autonomous emergency braking, hill start assist, electronic stability program, front and rear parking sensors and parking camera.

The BMW 2-Series Gran Tourer offers the versatility of seven seats, which is not present in any other BMW car right now. This makes it much more practical than one could expect it to be, and while it is a front-wheel driven vehicle unlike a majority of other BMWs, it doesn’t miss out on much of the thrill of precise driving dynamics.