Listing very interesting models produced at those times doesn’t take a huge BMW fan, but it’s also true that this automaker had a very limited range then. It was basically composed of sedans, station wagons, convertibles and coupés distributed in three levels of size, luxury and price, with the only special varieties being the M versions – we’re talking about such distant times when there weren’t BMWs badged with X or GT, any form of electrical propulsion was restricted to study prototypes and anyone who wanted something different needed to wait until 1994 and settle for a 3-Series Compact. That lineup may seem very picky in nowadays, but the truth is that those times were much simpler. Way simpler.
However, the current times required such big efforts that by the time of their conclusion the automaker must be offering around three times more vehicles than before – the number of families increased like that, at least. But despite showing interest on modern trends like crossovers and more efficient engines, BMW could never leave its traditions because they were what established its reputation in the first place. This is why the same amount of attention given to i3, i8 or the soon-to-arrive X4 was dedicated into re-sculpting the original lines into what the company thinks will suit today’s market. After achieving success with the reinvented 6-Series in the last years, it was time to extend this idea into more accessible price ranges.
Like its bigger brothers, 2-Series arrives as the sporty branch of the family with the immediate smaller number. BMW needed to be very careful with 4-Series because it was risky enough to take cars away from all the safety of the “3-Series” nameplate, so changing too much was simply out of the question. When it comes to the entry-level duo, in turn, not only there are much fewer rules to respect as the company wouldn’t reject an opportunity to go away from the current 1-Series’s not-that-good styling. These are the reasons why the new coupe (and its future convertible sibling) was designed with much more freedom, expressing a very attractive personality of its own.
Sure, “much more freedom” always acquires different proportions when talking about German automakers, but the truth is 2-Series manages to look better than the outgoing 1-Series without resembling any other particular BMW. There’s nothing trying to give the feeling of a bigger car, which is great for a compact because enables it to look nimble. But the biggest design evolution is that 2-Series doesn’t look too short, either: the replaced car wasn’t ugly, but it was hard not to notice that both front and rear fascias were ended too abruptly, as if it couldn’t be an inch longer. Despite being loaded with typical BMW design elements, it’s very nice to see that the new car features a much smoother three-dimensional work.
Like always, the sales will be divided into some trim levels. The first ones to appear are Luxury, Modern and M Sport, along with the “intermediate sporty” M235i – more than M Sport, but less than a still-unmentioned M2. Choosing between them changes items like internal coating’s color scheme, but you’ll always have an attractive, well-equipped room. Compared to the outgoing car, the biggest difference brought by 2-Series is the increased measures: being 72 mm longer, 26 mm wider and having a 30-mm wheelbase stretch increased the trunk to 390 liters and gave extra 19 mm of front headroom and extra 21 mm of rear legroom. Still, the automaker states it’s weight didn’t have significant changes.
There isn’t much new when it comes to the powertrain. The new vehicle will start with 220i’s 182-hp and 268.7-Nm 2.0L (0-100 kph in 7s and 235 kph of top speed), 220d’s 182-hp and 378.5-Nm 2.0L (7s1 and 230 kph with diesel) and finally to M235i’s six-cylinder 3.0L with 315 hp and 448.2 Nm (4s8 and 250 kph). However, by the time of the official release there will be also 228i for North America (the same gasoline 2.0L with 240 hp and 349.1 Nm, expected to make 5s4) and two other diesel options for Europe: 218d and 225d use 220d’s engine, but the first one reaches 141 hp and 318.7 Nm for an entry-level option (8s6 and 213 kph), while the other gives 215 hp and 448.1 Nm (6s3 and 243 kph). Every version can be chosen with a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Lançamento no Brasil (04/08/2014)
Pelo menos no começo, o menor cupê da BMW chega ao país somente em sua versão mais esportiva, a M235i. Por R$ 229.950, seus itens de série incluem seis airbgs, ar-condicionado digital bizona, bancos esportivos com regulagens elétricas e memória, câmera de ré, controle de estabilidade, farois bi-xenon, iDrive com Touch Controller, navegador GPS, Park Assist, rodas de liga leve aro 18”, sensores de estacionamento e de chuva, sistema de áudio Harman-Kardon, teto solar elétrico e um pacote de programas de conectividade. Além disso, estão lá os anexos aerodinâmicos M Sport, como os spoilers laterais e traseiro, os parachoques exclusivos, e os retrovisores com capa exclusiva.
Porém, seu maior destaque definitivamente não é nenhum destes. Sob o capô, nosso representante da novíssima Série 2 traz o já famoso motor 3.0 de seis cilindros em linha e dois turbos, suficientes para alcançar 330 cv de potência e 45,8 kgfm de torque. Auxiliado pelo controle de largada e pelo câmbio automático de oito marchas, que tem opção de trocas manuais por borboletas atrás do volante, ele acelera de 0 a 100 km/h em 4,8 segundos e depois alcança a velocidade máxima de 250 km/h, limitada eletronicamente. Ao Brasil, o BMW M235i virá nas cores azul Estoril, branco Alpino, branco Mineral, cinza Mineral, prata Glacier e preto Safira.