BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe F74

Is the new BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe F74 a major upgrade from its predecessor? Is the front-wheel-drive Bimmer sedan actually improved? Or did BMW fail to address the flaws in the F44? What will BMW purists say now that the F44 has been rehashed? Will they give the F74 the same flak that they gave the F44? We don’t know the answers yet, but the time is almost here for us to find out.

2025 BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe

Starting at 37,100 Euros plus additional costs, the BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe F74 is still the 2-Series most speedo boys may not like, but it's pointed squarely at the Audi A3 sedan. You can refer to it as a 1-Series with a liftback, but just like today's 1-Series it was based on, the F74 2-Series Gran Coupe also uses BMW's new naming policy where all petrol-powered BMW models will ditch the letter "i" at the end of the trim name because the letter "i" is officially exclusive to all-electric models such as the i4, the i5, and the i7.

2025 BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe

The design of the F74 2-Series Gran Coupe features a sharper front face than its predecessor. It also has rear lamps shaped like those from the Nissan Skyline V37, but the side view remains the same as the previous model. Purists who dislike that this is a front-wheel-drive car with bits from today's Mini may not be happy to see it again, but the front grille of this Bimmer can be configured to either weird or weirder, if that's what you are into.

The revised interior features the new dashboard and center console, including a 10.25-inch digital instrument display and a 10.7-inch infotainment touchscreen powered by the latest Android-based BMW Operating System 9. Although more user-friendly than the previous model, some would have a hard time mastering it, just like a newly bought smartphone with advanced features. As for space and comfort, it accommodates up to five people. Boot space is good for 430 liters, the same as before.

What features does the 2025 BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe have? Like the F44 predecessor, the F74 2-Series Gran Coupe still runs on the front-wheel-drive FAAR platform, making it mild on the corners and easy to drive everywhere.

As told earlier, it ditches the “i” lettering at the end of the trim name for petrol-powered models, while the “d” for diesel and “e” for PHEV models remain. There’s no PHEV model for now. Only the 1.5L petrol and the 2.0L diesel are available in this model with various configurations.

The range-topper of the F74 is the M235 with 300PS of power and 400Nm of torque. With the available xDrive all-wheel-drive system, it does 0-100kph in 4.9 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 250kph. This is your go-to hot compact sedan worthy of redemption from its purist-unfriendly platform.

As for safety, the new 2-Series Gran Coupe has the Driving Assistant package and Parking Assist with a reversing assist that is now part of the standard specification. Customers can opt for the Driving Assistant Professional, which adds adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane centering assist, and speed limit assist, while the Parking Assist Professional enables remote park assist.

With the F74 model, BMW's other worst offender just got slightly improved for better and for worse.

Photo: BMW AG

BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe

The 2-Series naming has been used on various body styles starting from the compact rear-wheel drive coupe we all love and the front-wheel drive people movers that we don't. To make it more complexing, there's a Gran Coupe in the range but don't get your hopes up because the first-ever 2-Series Gran Coupe is basically a saloon version of the latest 1-Series Hatchback, the front-wheel drive of course.

Starting at 31,144.54 Euros plus additional costs, the 2-Series Gran Coupe is the 2-Series most speedo boys may not like but it was aimed squarely at the likes of the A-Class Sedan and the CLA-Class as well as the Audi A3 Sedan. Late for the party but this leftist Bimmer sure knows a thing or two about how to deal with its homegrown foes.

Scoping through the design, the 2-Series Gran Coupe shares nothing in common with the two-door 2-Series. From every angle, this odd-eyed curiosity looks a bit bulky compared to its rivals and the questionable kidney grille in the front adds some more unanswered questions. In other words, it looks like a commoner's car on the road rather than a well-sculpted German luxury car on a budget.

On the inside, the baby Gran Coupe is surprisingly cozy to live with while on the driver's side, the toys stuffed in the dashboard can be worth enjoyable and annoying at the same time. Sure, it's got loads of tech ranging from smartphone connectivity, gesture control that is very BMW, voice controls that are annoying, and the BMW Intelligent Personal Asssitant that is so Alexa-ish, among many others to list, but rest assured that the baby Gran Coupe is all business and all pleasure. Boot space? Let's call it moderately good for heaps of groceries or other stuff it can fit through.

Because it runs on the same front-wheel drive platform as today's 1-Series, the 2-Series Gran Coupe isn't as fun to drive as its big brothers but it feels somewhat stable in some parts of the road even on pavements smothered with dirt, ice, and water. With the DSC system off, the 2-Series Gran Coupe shows off its rather BMW-ish side which isn't bad for a front-wheel drive saloon, although rather mild and tangy like a less spicy taco sauce.

In the range-topping M235i xDrive with its 306PS turbocharged 2.0L engine mated to an 8-speed Steptronic Sport gearbox and xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive that comes with a newly made LSD, it's a different being that blends the right balance of performance and stability, although it will leave drivers bruised with its grippy character that others may find it struggling to turn because it doesn't have the torque vectoring nonsense that the cooler M cars had. Challenging but worth the shot.

The 2-Series Gran Coupe may not be the best Gran Coupe you can drive but it sure knows how to add challenge to the likes of the A3 sedan, the A-Class sedan, and the CLA-Class. Overall, it's a decent luxury car on a budget that shows how serious BMW is, even when our favorite German luxury car maker's turning left at the moment.

Photo: BMW AG