[Auto] DRIVEN: New BMW 218i Gran Coupé is still not a bad proposition

[King_of_lion]

BMW has gone through some extensive changes lately; the hybrid, carbon fibre hewn i8 sports car has ceased production, while the brilliant B57S quad-turbo diesel engine that powers its M50d model range has also been put out to pasture.
BMW 218i Gran Coupé
While we were still mourning the above, the signature kidney grille got awesomely bigger, fine. Change is good, so they say. 
One other massive change was the shift from RWD to FWD transverse-engined architecture for the current 1 Series model. This move also affected the 2 Series range and the first-ever 2 Series Gran Coupé was born, a subject on test here. 

Only three variants are on offer in SA and I spent time driving the range-opening 218i Gran Coupé in M Sport guise. 
The 2 Series Gran Coupé is all about space and don’t let the sloping oofline fool you, it offers impressive space with a length of 4 526 mm, a width of 1 800 and a height of 1 420 mm. 

According to BMW, the move from a RWD to FWD setup resulted in an improved interior space and I can honestly attest to that. Also, the two extra, frameless doors open wide – something that makes ingress and egress a simple task.
BMW 218i Gran Coupé
Cargo space won’t leave you complaining at 430-litres and that was adequate to gulp groceries and other kinds of luggage.

For comparison sake, that is slightly smaller than the Mercedes-Benz CLA’s 460-litre boot as well as the yet-to-be-launched Audi A3 sedan.

Another thing I find quite attractive is the fact that the sloping roofline does not really mess up with the rear seating position and all three rear passengers can sit comfortably. 

The driver’s seating position is spot on with all-round visibility yet the manual seat adjustment is also a slight disappointment. BMW offers electronic seat adjustments at an additional charge. 

Renew your vehicle licence online – simple, fast and convenient

The interior is beautifully designed and looks similar to the 1 Series I sampled a little while ago and its build quality is one of its strongest points.

The 10.25-inch Info Display instrument cluster with BMW’s Live Cockpit Professional accepts Apple CarPlay and Android Auto plus Bluetooth connectivity. 

Although the 218i with its 1.5-litre unit will disappoint performance freaks, it is still a great model to live with, however, the 220d I sampled at the launch gets my thumbs up.