It was only yesterday when we shared spy shots of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe and we’re now providing an early look at its smaller brother. While the 4er will be going through a mid-cycle facelift, this compact sedan is transitioning to the second generation. That’s despite the fact the 2 Series Gran Coupe hasn’t received the Life Cycle Impulse (LCI). Much like the 1 Series hatchback, its sedan sibling is jumping straight to the next generation.
The prototype appears to be wearing the full production body and final lights, along with two-tone wheels and blue brake calipers hiding the M logo. While the kidney grille looks a bit odd because of the camouflage, it’s the rear that caught our attention since it has a quad exhaust. Much like the recently unveiled X1 M35i, the M Performance variant of the future 2 Series Gran Coupe is getting four tips, which will also be found on the next M135i and X2 M35i.
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These upcoming models are rumored to drop the “i” from their names, so expect this sporty compact sedan to be called the “M235 xDrive.” Despite transitioning to the second generation, it looks as though the “new” 2 Series Gran Coupe will be more along the lines of a facelift rather than a full redesign. Codenamed “F74,” the Mercedes CLA rival is getting the sportier-looking side mirrors that used to be reserved for full-fat M models until a couple of years ago.
Unlike big-brother 4 GC’s more practical liftback body style, the 2 GC is likely to remain a traditional sedan. The trunk lid boasts a sporty spoiler probably exclusive to the M Performance version. Interestingly, BMW applied some extra disguise on the Hofmeister kink, while the dashboard remains hidden under a piece of black fabric. However, we can see the contour of the dual-screen setup, presumably the iDrive 9 that’s already being installed in freshly built X1 crossovers.
The second-gen 2 Series Gran Coupe is expected to debut next year, with production rumored to kick off in November 2024. This M235 xDrive could be offered from day one as the range-topping model. The German luxury brand has made it crystal clear it won’t launch fully fledged M versions of its front-wheel-drive-based cars, so this M Performance version will remain the flagship.
In early 2025, BMW will also begin production of a long-wheelbase version for China, codenamed “F78.”