The latest BMW 3 Series, as with many cars, is notably bigger than previous versions – which has attracted much comment in our letters pages. There are many who think the latest 3, brilliant as it is, is simply too big.
Well, if you dream of a smaller BMW saloon, could the 2 Series Gran Coupe be the answer? The four-door is slightly bigger than an E46-era 3 Series, and marginally smaller than an E90. Almost by accident, it fills the gap the 3 has – quite literally – grown out of.
Of course, size isn’t everything, and before BMW fans seeking a 2019 version of the E46 get carried away, they might care to consider that, like the closely related 1 Series, the 2 Series Gran Coupe sends its power to the front axle. That might well put off those who believe a ‘true’ BMW is driven from the rear.
From our early assessments, the switch to front drive hasn’t hurt the handling or dynamics of the 1 Series – but that model never had the same driver’s car reputation as the 3. But if the front-drive 2 Series Gran Coupe can deliver a BMW-esque drive, it could become the saloon of choice for those who find the 3 has simply outgrown them.
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Old But not yet Dead
Maybe !
Pictures are evry dark .
In my experience that usually ends up in a poor attempt to disguise a pig
Takeitslowly
Give some examples in your
Give some examples in your experience.
harf
Downsizing?
You often here from manufacturers that the trend is for customers to be downsizing.
Actually, no. I think you’ll find that customers are same-sizing because manufacturers are constantly upsizing.
Of course, we know the game. If they keep making the same car bigger, they can keep charging more and more to those repeat customers.
The obvious advantages, surely, of buying a Gran(‘s) Coupe are the style and elegance resulting from the coupe like silhouette. Hmmm, doesn’t really work with fwd does it. Unless you’re called Peugeot and it’s a 508 of course.
How many ugly sticks do BMW own? Oh, and impressive ruination of the hofmeister kink.
SamVimes1972
Firstly it's going to attract
Firstly it's going to attract the people interested in a 3 series who go elsewhere or reluctantly moved to the X1because they don't want the hassle of RWD and or all season tyres.
The 2 sits squarely in the market my wife is looking at. She likes the 3 but won't drive one because it's 'a boring old man's car' - she views the 5, A4, C Class etc. similarly. The CLA, A Class and 1 series are all contenders for her so as she came out of a 3 Series a few years ago, it's car that could well bring g her back to the brand.
Cersai Lannister
An answer to a question few car buyers ask
Hmm, outside of the realms of car enthusiasts the majority of buyers - especially female ones that identify a difference - prefer FWD (or AWD) over RWD. So that's a plus - I know, I know, that there are plenty here who like the idea of going sideways, chassis balance and talkative steering but there's an equal number who have little interest and even dislike these characteristics. So that's all fine for BWM trying to sell a more modern proposition.
But it looks (as someone pointed out) like BMW isn't revealing much in this dark-coloured, telescoped shot. It may simply be that they have been beaten to death of late because of their styling - or it might be that this is hiding a car that's better-looking than a regular saloon car. But if not then I wonder why they are bothering - such a car has no market in the US and so I'd assume only Europe, a market that is shunning small saloons at a dramatic rate - so what are they thinking of?
david RS
Poor BMW.
Poor BMW.
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