For a car advertised as sporty, the first-ever BMW M235i xDrive Gran Coupe performed poorly in the moose test.
Assessed by KM77 in Spain, the premium subcompact model could not return to its initial lane quick enough after swerving to avoid the imaginary obstacle at 48 mph (78 km/h).
The changes in weight transfer and Bridgestone Turanza T005 standard tires pushed it into the cones every time, and they had to lower the speed to 42 mph (68 km/h) in order for the M235i GC to leave the cones intact, which is a poor result for such a vehicle.
Review: Why The BMW M235i Gran Coupe A Good But Not A Great Small Sports Sedan
In fact, it is comparable to the new Suzuki Jimny, which managed to complete the test at the same speed without being all over the place. The 2020 Volkswagen Golf did it at 43 mph (69 km/h), whereas one of the 2-Series Gran Coupe’s biggest rivals, the Mercedes-Benz CLA 200, did it at 41 mph (66 km/h).
Despite sharing the 2-Series nameplate with the rear-wheel drive, two-door models, the M235i Gran Coupe is built on a front-wheel drive-biased, all-wheel drive platform, which is also used by the 1-Series, X1 and X2. It can cover the nought to 60 mph (0-96 km/h) mark in 4.6 seconds and has a 155 mph (250 km/h) top speed thanks to its 301 HP and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder.
The M235i GC has an MSRP of $45,500 in the USA, which makes it $550 pricier than the Mercedes-AMG A35 Sedan.