The BMW 2 Series coupe range was bolstered by the addition of a new mid-level option last month, called the 228i.
A powered-up version of the existing 220i with a more highly tuned 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, the 228i gives BMW fans the option of a racier baby coupe that requires only a fraction of the substantial step up asked for the flagship M235i.
Priced from $64,400 plus on-road costs,
it slots neatly between the 220i (from $51,000 plus on-road costs) and
flagship M-badged variant (which starts at $75,765 plus costs). Keep in
mind also the larger 420i kicks off at $70,000 on the nose, and that car
is a proper 2+2 coupe.
Same goes in terms of its power and
performance. Its 2.0-litre engine (found in a plethora of BMW models)
shares its capacity with the 220i, but its 180kW/350Nm outputs are
45kW/80Nm up. It bridges to gap neatly to the 240kW/450Nm six-pot in the
M235i.
BMW claims the 228i can dispatch the
0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds, 1.3sec faster than the 220i and 0.7sec slower
than the M235i. Fuel consumption on the combined cycle is claimed at 6.3
litres per 100 kilometres, or 0.2L/100km more than the base petrol
model.
So, there are the numbers. But of course,
all the truly great BMWs are about more than just numbers. A BMW coupe
with a performance tilt is expected to carve up the corners like
virtually nothing else in its price bracket. That’s the brand’s core
pillar, after all.
Given the fact that we’ve experienced
this particular TwinPower turbo engine in numerous, larger BMW models,
and given our knowledge of the 220i’s benchmark dynamic abilities, we
went into this test with a sneaky suspicion that this could very well be
the range sweet spot.
After all, it’s got a welcome extra dose
of punch, but less weight over the front wheels than the bigger M235i
inline-six, which should offer even sharper turn in and the potential
for greater balance.
It should also be more comfortable day to day, and it’s on this area that we’ll begin.
Step through the large frameless door
into the snug cabin and you’re greeted by a familiar BMW interface with
the dash angled towards the driver. The ergonomics are spot-on, and the
chunky little steering wheel is great.
The iDrive wheel that operated all key areas of the car is
the most intuitive system we can name – BMW has been doing this a long
time and it shows.
Other positives include the
well-bolstered leather seats that extend in the base to provide a
breadth of knee support, and the classy glossy black surfaces and
exposed stitchwork. These surfaces, plus the silver door handles and
chunky wheel, are part of a no-cost option pack called Sport Line.
That said, it’s not a patch on an Audi S3
(to use an example of a car fresh in my mind) — which costs the same —
when it comes to feeling upmarket and ‘special’. It all feels high
quality, but not particularly tactile or high end.
Most of the cabin plastics, be they on
touchpoint surfaces or buttons, feel serviceable but built to a price — a
price that isn’t $65K, we might add — and items such as the red dials
could easily come from a car half the price. It’s a small gripe perhaps,
but one worth making.
Naturally the rear is tight, but there’s
room (and anchors) for two capsules if you can contort enough to fit
them, or two smaller kids. Passengers back there get vents, map pockets,
nifty flip-up adjustable headrests and lovely leather armrests.
The boot (with no spare
wheel compartment, given the car uses run-flat tyres) has room for a big
suitcase and a few soft carry-on bags. It’s sufficient for a two-person
weekender, unless that weekender is in Siberia.
The standard features list includes features such as front/rear parking sensors, ConnectedDrive,
bi-xenon headlights, rain-sensing wipers and auto headlights, dual-zone
climate control, Bluetooth/USB streaming, satellite navigation and
leather seats.
Our car had options including $1000
automatic parking, a $2300 Professional Multimedia Package with features
including a more advanced navigation system, a larger 8.8-inch screen, a
Harmon/Kardon sound system, 20Gb storage and DAB+ digital radio among
other things and a $2400 Comfort Package (heated, electric leather seats
and keyless entry). Metallic paint (such as Valencia Orange) also costs
$1142 — cough.
You can see a more detailed story outlining full specifications here.
I spent a fair chunk of time behind the
wheel doing mundane, everyday commuting. Traffic, low speeds, roads
riddled with divots and tram tracks, car parks and more, all of which
the BMW dispatched without fuss.
Without drawing too many historical
parallels, one could see this car as a modern interpretation of the
classic 2002, a loveable but liveable nimble sportscar suited to the
everyday.
Set the Driving Experience Control button
to Comfort mode and the drivetrain is pared back, the eight-speed
transmission holds high gears and the car doddles around like a small
hatchback. ECO mode adds some cool green trickery. This car has
hybrid-style brake-energy regeneration.
The ride is also disarmingly compliant
and comfortable considering factors such as the car’s dynamic abilities,
and its 18-inch wheels on stiff-walled, run-flat low-profile tyres.
Switch over to Dynamic mode, and the
throttle response sharpens, the gearbox holds lower gears and the
variable-ratio electric steering gets a little more resistance.
With all 350Nm of torque available across
a broad part of the rev band — from 1250-4800rpm — the engine feels
muscular and quite free of lag. It also has a husky drawl, albeit one
that remains a little too subdued under duress.
What you do get is ample punch out of
corners and immediate, rapid acceleration. This effect is abetted by the
ubiquitous ZF eight-speed automatic transmission with lovely metallic
paddleshifters on the wheel, which in BMW tune remains about the
smoothest transmission we can think of.
Of course, you can order a six-speed
manual gearbox as a no-cost option (it should be cheaper, right?).
Personally, I’d be tempted to opt for this for the purity factor alone.
But it’s a taste thing, and the auto is supremely intuitive.
Furthermore, this small rear-drive coupe
offers benchmark handling. Its body control and balance mid-corner is
sublime, as is the way it turns in and dispatches rapid-fire sequences
and switchbacks.
The variable steering also loads up at
speed, meaning you can pare back your inputs further, while there’s
plenty of feel and feedback from the super-sharp front end. The car in
all facets felt light, nimble and eager to dance its way along our
favourite piece of mountain blacktop.
Tip it into Sport+ mode and the slightly
grabby stability control system is dialled right back, meaning with a
stab of the throttle on exit or a lift-off mid-corner, you can coax the
grippy 245/35 hoops to let go a touch, causing the rear to step out. The
BMW’s balance keeps things manageable, though.
It’s one of those cars that make you feel
like you’re somehow part of its machinery, for lack of a better analogy
to hand, a pure experience that encourages you to nudge your boundaries
without scaring you to death either.
So there you have it. You might have
worked out we rather enjoyed our time with this baby BMW coupe, though
you could make the case it’s a little too expensive.
That point aside, it really is what a proper BMW should be. Simple, honest and nimble without feeling sanitised.
The M235i may be the firework of the
range, but we’d be quite content with this mid-spec cracker in the
driveway. Especially if we could talk the dealer down a few grand.
Source : www.caradvice.com.au
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