BMW‘s rear-wheel drive compact family is getting ready to welcome a third member, after the Coupe and Convertible, which is believed to go on sale under the 2-Series Gran Coupe moniker.
The model, whose development has kicked off with an early prototype scooped at the Nurburgring, will use a slightly longer wheelbase than the one of its two siblings and it won’t cannibalize the 3-Series sedan, which will grow in size for the next generation.
Unlike the front-wheel drive 1-Series Sedan, which will be offered solely in China, the four-door coupe will be underpinned by a rear-wheel drive platform and it will also add the brand’s xDrive all-wheel drive on several grades. The engine lineup is expected to comprise of 3- and 4-bangers petrol and diesel units, along with a PHEV version and even a range-topping M2 Gran Coupe, which is likely to retain the M2 Coupe’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo mill.
Its vinyl stickers are doing a pretty good job at keeping the details of its exterior panels hidden, but its design will be instantly recognizable, while its interior will be heavily restyled, as it will be eventually carried over to the successors of the current 2-Series Coupe and Convertible, which are expected to come out at the turn of the decade.