Overview: BMW 220 Gran Coupe M Sport in brief
BMW's original 2 Series Gran Coupe, while perhaps not the easiest on the eye, was the cheapest way into owning a saloon from the German company when it launched in 2020. So, the second-generation car aims to carry that on, with slightly more sanitised looks from a four-door body sitting atop front-drive underpinnings.
Having already tried the M235 high-performance range-topper, now we're going to the other end of the scale with this 220 M Sport entry-level effort.
Pros & Cons of the BMW 220 Gran Coupe M Sport
Pros: High-quality interior, smooth drivetrain, surprisingly punchy
Cons: Expensive for a small engine, dull handling, small boot
What's different from the BMW M235 xDrive Gran Coupe?
In truth, not a huge amount - M Sport is now the minimum specification level for the second-generation 2 Series Gran Coupe, so the '220' mimics a lot of the look of the full-on M235 xDrive.
This includes the little ducktail spoiler perched on the boot lid, big 18-inch alloys in the arches (although the wheels are admittedly a different design to those fitted to the M Performance flagship) and the chunky-looking front and rear bumpers too.
The obvious differentiators, then, are the badging on the rump of the car - assuming an owner hasn't had 'badge delete' work done - as well as the lack of visible exhausts on the 220, because the M235 has quad exits poking out at the rear.
There's also a different kidney grille arrangement on the M235, featuring horizontal slats and a little M tricolour badge, something for which the 220 does without - but it does wear 'M' emblems on its front wings. Finally, the door mirrors on the M Sport are body-coloured, not black as they are on the M235.
Essentially, though, the 220 M Sport is a good-looking thing, aided by the fact this 'F74' second-generation Gran Coupe is a far neater piece of styling than the gawky model which came before it.
Performance of the BMW 220 Gran Coupe M Sport
• Smooth 1.5-litre engine offers good pace
• Sweet balance of ride and handling
• Front-drive underpinnings limit fun
The 2 Series Gran Coupe is on the same 'UKL2' platform that underpins the related BMW 1 Series hatchback and MINI Countryman, so that means it is ostensibly front-wheel rather than rear-wheel drive. This has been the case in both the 1 Series and 2 Series families for a generation or two now, the exception being the 2 Series Coupe, which is on a different, rear-drive platform.
The 2 Series Gran Coupe uses an array of turbocharged petrol engines, and for the 220 it's a three-cylinder, 1.5-litre unit augmented by a 15kW/55Nm electric motor plus a small battery mounted in the boot of the car. We'll come back to this later.
All told, the 220 serves up combined peak outputs from its petrol-electric resources of 170hp and 280Nm, enough to propel this 1,525kg machine from 0-100km/h in 7.9 seconds.
In practice, and on a purely subjective 'seat of your pants' basis, the BMW certainly feels lively enough for these figures to be believable. Hooked up to the front wheels via a slick-shifting seven-speed, dual-clutch gearbox, the 220 accelerates briskly and smoothly from pretty much all points on the rev counter, and if you decide to spin it out the redline then it doesn't become coarse or breathless at higher engine speeds. It also makes a decent noise throughout.
With nicely judged M Adaptive Suspension damping and steering that's fast, accurate but not particularly weighty in feel nor rich in feedback, piloting the 220 M Sport along a twisty road is a proficient exercise that lacks for much in drama.
There's loads of grip from the car and traction isn't an issue either, and unless you're approaching corners at ludicrous speed then you won't need to worry about understeer manifesting.
But it's not that playful nor memorable if you start pushing up to the limits; we know there are serious, high-end, top-performance BMWs that can cater for this sort of thing far better than a 220 Gran Coupe ever needs to, but if you grew up weaned on a diet where something supposedly humdrum in the Munich company's catalogue, like - say - an E30 318i, could still drive with a delicacy and level of involvement that elevated it above products from its rival German manufacturers, this entry-level 2 Series might be a bit of a disappointment.
You could just as easily be in a Mercedes CLA or Audi A3 four-door, considering the way the 220 Gran Coupe handles.
Luckily, it's very refined and comfortable, the 2 Series Gran Coupe putting on an assured and dignified display when you're simply cruising along in it. The BMW is also capable at town speeds on rougher road surfaces, and it limits exterior noise contributors beautifully, so in terms of a genial all-round dynamic display the 220 is very well-sorted.
Interior, Practicality, Tech & Comfort of the BMW 220 Gran Coupe M Sport
• Screen-centric dash design
• Runs the latest BMW software for infotainment
• Practicality levels are only OK, not great
The 2 Series Gran Coupe's cabin is influenced by the look of much bigger vehicles in the wider BMW portfolio, which basically means the double-screen panorama of the Live Cockpit Plus set-up dominates the interior.
This works well enough, even if it means the death of the long-serving iDrive rotary controller in this car, plus the fact that the climate controls are all on the central 10.25-inch touchscreen; we're also still not enamoured with BMW's hexagonal motifs in the 10.7-inch instrument cluster, but overall the interface in the 220 is easy enough to operate that it won't infuriate the occupants.
Material finishing is lovely, though, as are the M Sport seats with that long-held BMW tradition of an extendable thigh-support bolster at the front of the base. There are really interesting details in the Gran Coupe, as well, such as the rubbery air vent controls (which make total sense when you use them) and their light-up surrounds, so the ambience inside the car is suitably grand. Appropriate, for a Gran Coupe.
Unfortunately, as we touched upon in the Performance section above, the placement of the hybrid battery appears to have robbed the 220 of some cargo capacity. Its boot volume is down to 360 litres, a drop of 70 litres from the cargo capacity of its predecessor, and also behind the current M235's boot.
There are, however, 40:20:40 split-folding rear-seat backs as standard to maximise the configuration of interior room, which is handy.
Meanwhile, rear-seat passenger space is fine, without being remarkable, but despite the car being listed as a five-seater, it's likely that a quartet of people would be far happier onboard the Gran Coupe than if the full five were squeezing into it.
Irish Pricing & Rivals of the BMW 220 Gran Coupe M Sport
• Reasonable starting price for a BMW saloon
• Although it seems a lot for a 1.5
• Good level of equipment fitted
You could look at the BMW 220 Gran Coupe M Sport's starting price of €48,120 in one of two ways: the first, more positive outlook would be to realise this is less cash than you'd need to sit in the petrol-powered MINI John Cooper Works, which is quite astounding when you think about it; the other, rather pessimistic viewpoint is to say that 48 grand for a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder, front-wheel-drive car looks steep.
Put into context, the Beemer appears rather more reasonable. Leaving aside the CLA for a moment, a Mercedes A-Class Saloon would start from €45,975, which is less, but that's for an A 180 - which is fitted with a 136hp 1.3-litre engine.
Meanwhile, an Audi A3 Saloon kicks off at a highly competitive €37,175... but that is for a 115hp 1.5 in moderate '30' SE spec. To get remotely close to the 220 M Sport's specification, you'd have to drop €46,670 on a A3 35 S tronic S line, but even then, you'd be in something with 150hp, rather than 170hp.
Standard equipment on the M Sport includes M high-gloss Shadow Line exterior trim, 18-inch alloy wheels, LED exterior lighting, the BMW Live Cockpit Plus infotainment with OS9 and the Curved Display interface, automatic climate control, a sports steering wheel, cruise control, and Parking Assistant including Reversing Assistant, Active Park Distance Control (parking sensors) and Reversing Assist Camera, among much more.
Verdict - Should You Buy the BMW 220 Gran Coupe M Sport?
If you want the most affordable way into a BMW saloon, the 220 Gran Coupe M Sport continues to serve as that car and, this time around, it's a more likeable, elegant and relaxing machine than the original was. It's still by no means perfect, as the driving experience is rather unremarkable, but as a stylish day-to-day contrivance the 220 works very nicely indeed.
FAQs About the BMW 220 Gran Coupe M Sport
What sort of economy will I get from a BMW 220 Gran Coupe?
The 48-volt mild-hybrid system fitted to the 220 promises fuel consumption as impressive as 5.4 litres/100km (52.3mpg), although you might need to factor in a slightly lower real-world return than that. We saw more like 8.3 litres/100km (34.2mpg) on our 'spirited' test drive. Something a little in excess of 7.0 litres/100km (40mpg) ought to be easily achievable with more care.
Any other model in the range besides the BMW 220 Gran Coupe M Sport and the M235?
Yes, there's an intermediate 223 xDrive Gran Coupe, with 218hp if you want it. That car starts from €54,121.50 as an M Sport.
How many ISOFIX points are there in the BMW 220 Gran Coupe?
There are two full ISOFIX positions, on the outer two seats of the rear row. But the door apertures in the back of the Gran Coupe aren't the biggest, so loading in bulky child seats might not be the work of a moment.
Want to know more about the BMW 220 Gran Coupe M Sport?
Is there anything else you'd like to know about the BMW 220 Gran Coupe M Sport? Or anything you feel we haven't covered here? Then just head over to our Ask Us Anything section and, well, ask us anything.
