BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé

FIRST DRIVE Substantial revamp for BMW's smallest saloon bring big tech advances, but does it have the driver appeal to match?

- Alex Ingram

THIS is the 2025 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé, a car which has been subjected to one of the most comprehensive facelifts we've seen of late.

It's a model that, in the UK at least, doesn't find as much love with buyers as its hatchback equivalent, the 1 Series. However, with cars getting bigger all the time, a four-door saloon whose footprint is almost identical to the E90-generation 3 Series of the mid-2000s has some appeal.

Onto the changes, then, and from whatever angle you approach the 2 Series Gran Coupé, its look has changed substantially. The front has been brought closely in line with the revised 1 Series - so the headlights are slimmer and sharper, while the grille is a less pronounced than before, and its two 'kidney' elements are blended into one piece. We're not sure the latter detail is the best move, though. There's a hint of Kia's 'tiger nose' grille that graced the front of the Korean cars a while back, so it feels like the 2 Series has lost some brand identity.

The changes around the back are even more dramatic. Indeed, the update extends to a new pressing for the entire roof frame. The large panel which goes from the A to the C-pillars has been revised to present a more distinct interpretation of BMW's signature Hofmeister Kink behind the side windows, and has introduced an overhauled rear-end with reshaped tail-lights.