Will you love BMW's first 7-seater MPV?
Here it is: the car that seals BMW’s entry into fuddy-duddy territory: the 2 Series Gran Tourer. It’s the brand’s first seven-seat multi-purpose vehicle (MPV).
A while back we asked if the 2 Series Active Tourer was a real BMW. That question springs to mind with the Gran Tourer, since it is that car with a bit of stretching and an extra row of seats.
If you’re wondering what we do consider a proper BMW, then read about the 2 Series Cabriolet (which we just test drove in Texas).
Granted, the 2 Series Gran Tourer isn’t BMW’s first seven-seater, as that distinction belongs to the big SUV, the X5, but it does continue to test how far BMW can stray from its core values.
Like the Active Tourer, the Gran Tourer has its front wheels driven by the engine. It shares its platform and drivetrain technology with the new Mini, which we’ve also tested (One, Cooper D). Mini itself has begun to stray from its origins with a new five-door model.
For the moment the petrol options for the new seven-seater start with a turbocharged 1.5-litre, three-cylinder engine (218i Gran Tourer) that has 136bhp and 220Nm of torque.
It’s mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox, achieves 0-100km/h in 9.5 seconds (strangely, 0.1 seconds quicker than the 218i Active Tourer), with efficiency figures of 5.3L/100km and 125g/km of CO2.
The range-topper, for now, is the 220i. That has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine (and eight-speed automatic gearbox) that generates 192bhp and 280Nm of torque. It does 0-100km/h in 7.6 seconds, with efficiency figures at 6.0L/100km and 140g/km.
According to the press release, the third row of seats is a cost option, but it will probably be standard in Singapore.
For families with many young children, the 2GT will be a boon, since BMW says all five of the rear seats can accommodate full-sized child seats as well. The third row of seats fold fully flat when not in use. Luggage capacity is quoted at 645-litres with five seats, and 1,095-litres with all seats down.
BMW has yet to confirm a local launch date for the 2GT, but there’s little chance the car won’t be sold here, given the popularity of seven-seaters in Singapore. Or of BMWs in general.
Indeed, on a per-head basis the 2 Series Gran Tourer will likely be the most affordable BMW in town. But if Singaporeans love BMWs, and if they love seven-seaters, does it automatically mean that they are bound to love both at the same time?
