After the all-new 1-Series, BMW is getting ready to launch its more practical version, the 2-Series Gran Coupe. And just like the hatch, it will be based on the FWD UKL platform, despite a new report from Autoexpress claiming the opposite – that the new “2 Series Gran Coupe will sport a rear-wheel drive platform” after speaking to BMW’s chief engineer Klaus Fröhlich.
That much we know for sure since March, when Munich teased the upcoming compact four-door sedan. According to CEO Harald Kruger, the 2 GC “builds on the latest BMW front-wheel drive architecture and shares a multitude of technological developments with the new 1-Series”, with its launch due for the LA Show in November and sales set to commence in 2020.
Also Read: BMW Drops First 2-Series Gran Coupe Teaser Ahead Of November L.A. Premiere
Here’s what Fröhlich told the British magazine after being asked about the upcoming i4: “This is our Cluster Architecture. This is in our rear-wheel drive cars, from the 2 successor up to the X7”, Frohlich commented, shedding some light on what to expect in the near future.
The 2-Series Coupe / Cabrio will be RWD
What does this mean? The only RWD versions of the current 2-Series are the Coupe and Cabriolet twins, so in all likelihood, the two-door model(s) will retain the same mechanical layout separating themselves from the other body-styles in the range.
Therefore, things are pretty clear: the 1-Series, 2-Series GC/minivans, X1/X2 pair (and various MINI models) will be based on the more cost-effective, and space efficient, FWD / AWD UKL platform, while the new 2-Series Coupe, as well as the 3, 4, 5 etc., plus the larger SUVs, will use the CLAR which stipulates that the same bulkhead be used, but allows for changes in all dimensions, including the wheelbase, to accommodate the different shapes, sizes and segments of BMW’s armada.
What will be common with the rest of the range will be the engine lineup; or, at least, some of them, with a prime candidate for the 2-Series Coupe being the turbo four that kicks out 306 PS (302 hp / 225 kW) and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque in the 1-Series and X2 M135 – and, quite likely, the 2-Series Gran Coupe too. And yes, we should also see BMW’s trademark straight-six making its appearance too.
