BMW 2 Series

Does the junior BMW coupé still make a convincing case with its entry-level engine?

MODEL TESTED 220i COUPE M SPORT

Price £36,010 Power 181bhp Torque 221lb ft. 0-60mph 7.3sec 30-70mph in fourth 8.5sec Fuel economy 34.0mpg CO₂ emissions 148g/km 70-Omph 44.8m

We like

• Perfect cabin and infotainment ergonomics
• Balanced rear-wheel-drive dynamics

We don't like

• Passive M Sport suspension lacks some sophistication
• Noise isolation

Think of any of its recent high-profile new models, such as the iX, 1 Series, 4 Series or recently T revealed 7 Series, and today's BMW might not strike you as a company that is particularly nostalgic, or one that cares much about its heritage. All the typical BMW hallmarks a long bonnet, rear-wheel drive, subtle kidney grilles, and the Hofmeister kink - have been either ditched or substantially reinterpreted.

And then there is the new 2 Series Coupé. It doesn't get much more 'traditional BMW' than this. All the aforementioned traits are present and correct. There are no hybrids and you can even get it with a straight-six petrol engine.

Is this design one that the old guard sneaked through while the new kids weren't looking? Not at all. It's a deliberate strategy to retain the more traditional buyer as well as appeal to younger buyers, head of BMW design Domagoj Dukec told us last year. It's why the tweaked 5 Series didn't sprout a big grille either when it was facelifted.

Dukec added: "There's a reason why the BMW Neue Klasse is a very typical three-box silhouette. That's the case for every car we're doing today. The 2 Series Coupé is the best example: we have a rear-wheel-drive proportion but we treat it as a three-box. There are no other cars like it in the segment."