BMW teases 2 Series Gran Coupe, to rival Mercedes CLA

ABU DHABI: For a long time, there have been rumours about the new BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, and they have finally been laid to rest. During their annual press conference, BMW showcased a teaser of a new car in a sexy green shade. In essence, the car will be a four-door version of the 2 Series.

The image released by BMW does not reveal much, but we do get a look of the sleek LED taillights inspired by the 8 Series. The presence of a rear door handle further confirms that this is not merely a concept. You also get a sneak peek at the shark-fin antenna and the duck-lip spoiler at the rear. Unfortunately, the front and side profile of the car was not shown, but we can certainly hope that it looks like the 8 Series Gran Coupe, albeit a shrunken version.

According to the press release, the car will make its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this year with a market launch slated for spring 2020. Although there were previously rumours that the 2 Series Gran Coupe will be rear wheel drive, it appears that it will be built on the same front-wheel-drive platform as the latest generation 1 Series. This is also the case with the other two cars in the 2 Series, so it only makes sense that the Gran Coupe version follows suit. We can only hope that there will be an all-wheel-drive version, though chances of it being rear-biased like the new 5/3 Series are rather slim.

The new 2 Series Gran Coupe will battle it out against the Mercedes CLA and not the A-Class sedan. It will fall between the 1 Series sedan and bigger 3 Series. Further down the line, we could see a full-blown M2 Gran Coupe as well. The same engine present in the 1 Series and X2 Crossover could make its way into the new 2 Series Gran Coupe. Further details will be available later this year at the Los Angeles Motor Show, meanwhile, BMW has also confirmed that the next-generation 1 Series hatchback will also be revealed later in the year.