BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé
Does the 302bhp M235i work as both a performance machine and a family car? On sale Now Price from £35,580
PUT VERY SIMPLY, the new BMW M235i Gran Coupé is the compact performance car you might buy if you found its hot hatchback sibling, the M135i, a bit too function-over-form.
While it looks significantly less workaday than the M135i, the M235i uses the same 302bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, driving all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The 0-62mph sprint is dispatched in a pleasingly urgent 4.9sec – level pegging with the elegant Mercedesamg CLA 35, the M235i’s closest conceptual rival.
The engine pulls hard from low revs all the way to the red line, and the eight-speed automatic gearbox swaps ratios far more smoothly and promptly than the dimwitted ’box of the CLA 35.
The M235i is an effective cross-country machine. Okay, its steering isn’t alive with communication, but then neither is the CLA 35’s. It builds weight reassuringly in corners, though, and its quickness lends the M235i a fitting sense of agility. Combine this with tight body control and grip that’s impressively balanced front to rear and it’s better to drive than the CLA 35.
A firm ride is something we’ve come to expect from M-badged BMWS, and the M235i can be uncomfortable over urban potholes and pimples or on particularly poorly surfaced stretches of A-road or motorway. It’s also a shame that the engine, while powerful, sounds so flat and that there’s noticeable tyre roar at 70mph, although this latter issue isn’t as bad as it is in the CLA 35. The M235i’s suspension is quieter over bumps, too.
BUYER’S FILE
FIRST DRIVE
The driving position is spot on, with enough adjustment to please taller folk. The dramatic roofline eats into rear head room, though, and knee room is a bit tight. The M235i’s boot is actually bigger than that of the M135i, but it can’t match the CLA 35’s.
The M235i isn’t as flashlooking as the CLA 35 inside, but the materials are plusher. Its infotainment system is the best in the business, too.
Overall, not only is this go-faster 2 Series Gran Coupé as fast as the CLA 35, but it’s also sharper to drive and undercuts it by a not inconsiderable sum. Just bear in mind that, if you can do without the svelte styling, the Honda Civic Type R is even more fun.
BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé M235i Price Engine Power Torque Gearbox 0-62mph Top speed Fuel economy CO2, tax band