2025 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé dispenses with camouflage and shows controversial grille bars

July 8, 2024

The grille bars of the Mercedes CLA competitor are arranged vertically and diagonally, like the new 1 Series and the X3

                                        https://www.carscoops.com/author/chris-chilton-cc/

from Chris Chilton

July 8, 2024 at 18:30

The second generation BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé has been spotted and features a new grille and bumper design as well as a large digital dashboard.
Like the new 1 Series and X3, the narrow grille features multi-directional grille bars.
The heavily revised version of the current sedan uses the same transverse-engine platform as the X1 and the 1 Series hatchback, but not the two-door 2 Series coupe.

Sales of BMW’s 2 Series rose 54 percent in the U.S. in the first six months of 2024, and while the automaker doesn’t break down the numbers by four-door Gran Coupe and two-door coupe, it’s safe to assume the sedan version is still a big draw, even if this second-generation model is still in the starting blocks.

Like its cousin, the new European-market 1 Series hatchback unveiled last month, the 2025 Gran Coupe is a heavily updated version of today’s GC and is based on the same transverse-engine platform it shares with the X1 and Mini.

Related: The new BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe will compete against the redesigned Mercedes CLA

Our spy photography team has previously photographed both the regular Gran Coupe and the sporty M235 prototype, but on both occasions BMW’s test team had covered the grille, bumper and part of the C-pillar with tape to conceal the important details. That was almost a year ago, though, and with the fall 2024 or spring 2025 launch not far away, some of that camouflage has remained in the workshop.

And that includes the ugly placeholder grille that previously covered the grille. With that removed, we can see that the long, narrow kidney grille will feature the same weird multi-directional grille bars we’ve already seen on newer BMWs like the 1 Series and X1.

The camouflage tape on some of the bars suggests that they all point upwards, but closer inspection reveals that the bars on the outer edges run diagonally to the headlights. This will be the case on regular Gran Coupes, anyway. M Sport and M235 models will have different grilles with black horizontal bars.

Also, the shape of the lower bumper is now visible for the first time, including the triangular intakes at each corner. However, the headlights are still covered in transparent camouflage so we can’t catch a glimpse of the new daytime running lights, as are the taillights.

The main group of images show a non-M Gran Coupe, which could be a simple 120, meaning it’s powered by a 1.5-liter three-cylinder mild hybrid producing 168 PS (170 hp). But two bonus images show M235 xDrive cars, which after recent 1 Series updates should deliver 296 PS (300 hp) in Europe and 312 PS (316 hp) in the U.S., thanks to a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder.

In one of these images, we can even get a glimpse inside the cabin. While the car is too far away to make out any details, you can still make out the new combined digital instrument cluster and media screen. The 2 Series is one of the last series to adopt this feature.