BMW 2 SERIES

Thanks to new-age electronics, a front-wheel driven BMW may not be a bad idea after all

- ROHIT PARADKAR

Type 1,995cc, inline fourcylinder turbo-diesel

Max power 190PS@4,000rpm

Max torque 400Nm@1,750-2,500rpm

LxWxH(mm) 4,961x2,014x1,716

Price ₹50.5 lakh (on-road Mumbai)

OD Rating

4/5

+ve Good spec and space for its economical price

-ve Chubby styling and over-assisted dynamics

India is a diverse country and that also makes it a rather unique marketplace. What may work globally may not find appeal in India and vice versa. One of the examples of that fact is the compact luxury space. While all the accessible entry-level luxury cars have been runaway successes in the global market, India has given them a bit of a lukewarm response. We don’t associate luxury with a hatchback body style and so the 1 Series failed to make an impact. Sedans do make the cut, but the CLA four-door coupé didn’t get the kind of response Mercedes-Benz would have liked and so the new CLA is not even on the Indian roadmap anymore. There is the belief that a more traditional three-box sedan would work better and hence it’s the A-Class limousine which will come to India in place of the CLA. Of course, some might argue that the Audi A3 sedan was a classic three box and after the initial splash, it too disappeared into people’s blind spots. But so did the A4, so let’s just blame it on Audi’s current design language. Well, BMW has been struggling with its designs too, but they seem to understand this entry-level segment and it’s customer rather well - think Mini or the X1 which is the best selling compact luxury crossover in India. Now, they believe they have a sedan that could make a difference in this space.