[TusharK]

BMW has launched a new variant of the 2 Series Gran Coupe called the 220i Sport. The car is priced at Rs. 37.90 lakh (ex-showroom).



The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe is a four-door sedan that was launched in October 2020. The 220i Sport comes equipped with LED headlights and LED tail lights but misses out on LED fog lamps. It does not get features like the M leather steering wheel, gesture control and wireless charging that are offered in the M Sport variant.

BMW 220i Sport feature highlights:

• 2-zone automatic climate control
• Ambient lighting
• Cruise control with braking function
• Sport seats
• 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Analogue instrument cluster with 5.1-inch display

The 220i Sport is powered by a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that puts out 189 BHP @ 5,000 rpm and 280 Nm @ 1,350-4,600 rpm. The engine is mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that comes with paddle shifts and has a launch control function.



Link to Team-BHP News

[Karthik_S]

Interesting pricing - its over INR 45L on road in Bangalore. The 3 series starts at only 5L away - makes me wonder who'll want to buy this series.

[yd_gli]

Looks hideous! The rear is an amalgamation of the worst that Honda, VW threw at us with the Ameo, Amaze and with an extra bit of MG's horrific over-design thrown in. The Indian market seems to be taking a toll on BMW as well.

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by Karthik_S

Interesting pricing - its over INR 45L on road in Bangalore. The 3 series starts at only 5L away - makes me wonder who'll want to buy this series.

Totally agree. This is one BMW I will not recommend to my friends.

For me the main appeal of BMW is the rear wheel drive and the 50:50 weight distribution. A front wheel drive car like this loses the main BMW DNA. Further, this does not even look good. The proportions are off and looks a bit weird.

I do not see any point in going for this compact front wheel drive BMW for Rs. 45L in Bangalore. A 3 series -the "proper" BMW- is just Rs. 4-5L away and that would be my pick any day. Heck, I would even pick a used 3 series any day over a brand new 220i or 220d. It is a no-brainer really not to go for this 2 series.

[himanshugoswami]

Give it six months and this will see 6-8 lakh discounts come Sept 30th. That would take the OTR to under 40L where it starts to make some sense.

[bhavik.1991]

Why would anyone pick this over a Superb? Superb is simply a better car than this in all departments. Any enthusiast who needs decent handling will pick a RWD (3 series).

[avira_tk]

Originally Posted by bhavik.1991

Why would anyone pick this over a Superb? Superb is simply a better car than this in all departments. Any enthusiast who needs decent handling will pick a RWD (3 series).

Brand image, it's a powerful thing, outside the metros, owning a German is still a rich people thing. An A200, 220GC or A3 has appeal. A gift for empty nester parents from kids who've done well in life, only a German would do.

[astrodex]

Originally Posted by avira_tk

Brand image, it's a powerful thing, outside the metros, owning a German is still a rich people thing. An A200, 220GC or A3 has appeal. A gift for empty nester parents from kids who've done well in life, only a German would do.

I agree, the brand (or snob) value of a BMW or Merc is very high, especially in tier 2 cities. A lot of people I know are going for 2 series instead of 3 (when it was available) mainly because of the additional features (gesture, Apply/Android support, ambient lights etc.) and 'almost' the same size. The argument that both have same engine (by volume) enrages me . Others are waiting for A class pricing before taking the plunge. Like X1, I'm guessing these will also sell more than anticipated because of brand image.

[jayendra]

Originally Posted by TusharK

BMW has launched a new variant of the 2 Series Gran Coupe called the 220i Sport. The car is priced at Rs. 37.90 lakh (ex-showroom).

A buyer considering a car at the 45 to 50L budget, I dont think there would be one compromising this list of features to save the 3 and odd lakhs, which is a smaller proportion at 45L. I dont think this variant really appeals to anyone considering the 2 series GC

[GTO]

Cars like this, the Q2 & A-Class aren't bad per se, but they are 30-lakh ex showroom cars, not 40! One of those models that just won't sell without a f-a-t discount. They will then offer a reasonable point of entry into the luxury brand world, and also be a viable option as the 2nd / 3rd / 4th luxury car of the house. I know of many A-Class' that are happily serving as the spouse's city car. Never seen the highway, but goes to malls, schools & restaurants all the time.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by bhavik.1991

Why would anyone pick this over a Superb? Superb is simply a better car than this in all departments. Any enthusiast who needs decent handling will pick a RWD (3 series).

I am neither endorsing the product and definitely not its price. But to your point, there is little to no correlation between the two choices save for budget. It’s highly unlikely someone is shopping in that segment with the superb and 2 series both being actively considered.

There are people who want a big brand powerful car but with a small footprint that will mostly do only city duties. The market is minuscule but perhaps even more price insensitive. It’s very likely the second or third car in the house and probably second luxury car in the house, where it is often self driven by one of the owners.

The other market is the young DINKS professional couple who have now entered this budget point and want a taste of the big 3 brands without needing the space.
A young professional I knew, newly married had upgraded from a City to a new GLA. I could not for the life of me see the logic of it but it seemed to work for him. This is the segment where a big fat discount some time down the line would help seal the deal.

[carthick1000]

Though there might be a market for this 220i. I cannot stop comparing this with Honda city.

Thanks, BMW. But no thanks

[d3mon]

Originally Posted by carthick1000

I cannot stop comparing this with Honda city.

Only similarity I see here is that both of these are severely overpriced for what they offer in their respective segments, after years of price creep. And yet, being the status symbols that they are, people will not mind paying a premium for them.

That's not quite the comparison you had in mind though, right?

[carthick1000]

Originally Posted by d3mon

That's not quite the comparison you had in mind though, right?

Right.

I don't see them from different segments but cars with similar dimensions, styling with front engine FWD layouts.

Does the premium 30L justify the BMW's ------ over Honda's ------?

- Multilink rear : torsion beam rear
- Rear disc : drum
- 0.12 : 0.10 power to weight ratio
- 0.18 : 0.12 torque to weight ratio
- Getrag 7 torque converter vs Honda CVT
- More vs less maintenance bills
- More vs less fuel consumption
- idrive vs Honda's infotainment

Well. I leave my thinking out loud in the open..

[Kochikaran]

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

Totally agree. This is one BMW I will not recommend to my friends.

For me the main appeal of BMW is the rear wheel drive and the 50:50 weight distribution. A front wheel drive car like this loses the main BMW DNA. Further, this does not even look good. The proportions are off and looks a bit weird.

I do not see any point in going for this compact front wheel drive BMW for Rs. 45L in Bangalore. A 3 series -the "proper" BMW- is just Rs. 4-5L away and that would be my pick any day. Heck, I would even pick a used 3 series any day over a brand new 220i or 220d. It is a no-brainer really not to go for this 2 series.

When the 3 series was launched, even then people were against it, saying the proper BMW experience was the 5 series and above. But times has since changed. Maybe BMW will rework on the pricing. Currently they aren’t projecting this as a low end version, but rather as an exclusive car to own.