BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe review

The 220 is available from £34,915, with the M235 xDrive starting at £44,435. Starting being the key word here. Standard equipment includes automatic air conditioning, electrically folding door mirrors, an alarm, interior lighting package (very generous), welcome and goodbye animation, and BMW’s Live Cockpit Plus which includes a cloud based navigation system.

All UK cars get the M Sport package as standard. That includes a front apron with enlarged air intakes, M side sills, high gloss Shadow Line for the windows, and a chunky rear apron with a black diffuser insert. Bigger 18in wheels replace the standard 17in items, with a Y-spoke design.

As noted, we’d recommend the M Dynamic Pack, which offers various chassis enhancements for £3,000. The Technology Plus Pack costs £2,750, and includes adaptive LED headlights, BMW’s Live Cockpit Professional, the ‘glow’ grille, and head-up display. The standard audio system runs to six speakers and 100 watts output, but we’d go for the optional 205 watt Harman/Kardon set-up which hides its 12 speakers behind stainless steel panels.

The optional Driving Assistant Professional includes steering and lane control assistant that can be used at speeds of up to 130mph, as can the active cruise control. That package includes all the usual assistant systems.

Fuel consumption on the M235 xDrive is 34.4-37.7mpg claimed, CO2 emissions 185g/km. BMW Finance’s PCP for the 235 xDrive comes out at £621.24 per month for 48 months, but it’s obviously worth shopping around.