Is the 2020 BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe Worth Its Price?

The 2020 BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe is expensive compared to most of the commercial sedans in the market today. And we're not just talking about its base price. The 2-series Gran Coupe 228i xDriver model is priced at almost PHP 1975 million ($39,000), while the sportier and more powerful M235i variant starts at almost PHP 2.380million ($47,000). Meanwhile, its main competitor, the newly-redesigned Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class comes $2,000 short for its base price--around PHP 1. 874 million ($37,000).

Still, why should we complain if the price is much heftier than the CLA-Class if it's worth buying?

Performance-wise, we think it's worth it. The base variant-- the 228i xDriver, features a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that can churn out 228p-hp and 350 Nm of torque for its 228i. That spec is almost the same with Mercedes C-Class' base model--although it's seven horsepower short compared to the CLA-Class.

Meanwhile, the M235i has been "performance" upgraded. Now, it can juice out around 301 horsepower and 450 Nm of torque, with an eight-speed auto and standard AWD to sweeten the deal even more. Despite this, it loses out to Mercedes, hands down. The most powerful variant of the CLA-Class offers a more powerful 382 hp and 480 Nm torque.

Exterior-wise, it has its hits and misses. The consistency of the design's concept isn't rock-solid. Yes, we love the dynamic headlights, protruding nose and aggressive grille--they make a statement and adds to the aesthetic of the vehicle. But what gets lost here is that it doesn't fit in BMW's design goal of making it "low-slung, sporty four-door coupe". This is especially true of its base model--it's a bit taller compared to a standard coupe.

It seems the sporty design stopped after the windshield. When viewed at the back, it looks like the typical sedan your neighbor likes to drive because he got promoted at his job (save for the dynamic headlights and rear). It's a safe and secure description, but nevertheless, it's still too tame. We're expecting BMW's luxury coupe to be much sportier-looking than this--even if it's just an entry-level model.

Defenders, however, are quick to say that the Gran Coupe is really sold as a four-door sedan. If it is, then the name and its marketing campaign are surely misleading--if not, ambivalent. They shouldn't have added "Coupe" to the name here--or perhaps just changed it to "Gran Sedan" to make lives easier for all of us.

The only saving grace here is that the M235i comes closer to the coupe we expected (and wanted) it to be--the suspension is lower, with advanced, sporty features that make riding really fun. So if you have loads of cash to spend, we'd definitely recommend this instead of the base variant (in a heartbeat).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL4OfcwpRCQ

The 228i xDrive and M235i xDrive will be available in the U.S. in March 2020. Unfortunately, BMW hasn't given any information if they plan to sell this entry level vehicle in Asia, although there's no harm in saving PHP 2,380,141 for the M2235i starting now.

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