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Written by Ollie Kew
The BMWs you"d forgotten existed have awoken from their mid-life surgery. Yep, it"s the Active Tourer and Gran Tourer versions of the 2 Series: a name which BMW persists with despite these front-drive people-carriers having about as much to do with the superb M2 as an elderly pet hamster has to do with an offshore powerboat. For 2018, you"re being treated to even bigger kidney grilles visual shorthand for "yes, it really is a BMW, honest" plus reprofiled bumpers and tweaked graphics in the LED headlights and taillights. All four-pot diesel 2s now get twin tailpipes, with a larger diameter and thicker walls, because schportiness. Oh, and bigger wheels. There"s even a new shade of beige paint. And an orange hue, too. Inside, marvel at the longer seat cushions. Finished? Good. Under the metalwork you"ll find a new seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox as an option besides the already brilliant eight-speed automatic. Engine tweaks have liberated an extra 7bhp from the three-pot petrols, there"s better heat management to save fuel and the crankshafts now weigh 1.1kg less. Shockingly, BMW hasn"t deemed this weight-saving regime worthy of a CS" badge.
Date written: 10 Jan 2018
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 10494
The BMWs you"d forgotten existed have awoken from their mid-life surgery. Yep, it"s the Active Tourer and Gran Tourer versions of the 2 Series: a name which BMW persists with despite these front-drive people-carriers having about as much to do with the superb M2 as an elderly pet hamster has to do with an offshore powerboat. For 2018, you"re being treated to even bigger kidney grilles visual shorthand for "yes, it really is a BMW, honest" plus reprofiled bumpers and tweaked graphics in the LED headlights and taillights. All four-pot diesel 2s now get twin tailpipes, with a larger diameter and thicker walls, because schportiness. Oh, and bigger wheels. There"s even a new shade of beige paint. And an orange hue, too. Inside, marvel at the longer seat cushions. Finished? Good. Under the metalwork you"ll find a new seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox as an option besides the already brilliant eight-speed automatic. Engine tweaks have liberated an extra 7bhp from the three-pot petrols, there"s better heat management to save fuel and the crankshafts now weigh 1.1kg less. Shockingly, BMW hasn"t deemed this weight-saving regime worthy of a CS" badge.
Date written: 10 Jan 2018
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 10494
