Photo: BMW
It’s pretty obvious what BMW has in its crosshair with the 2 Series Gran Tourer. More traditional MPVs should be the ones to worry but the German manufacturer still has a long way to go until they can actually claim to be one of the key players in this niche. The pricing might help, however.
The cheapest car in the range will be the 216i that will have a starting price of €28,000 in Germany. However, at the moment, that version is not available and even when it will go on sale, we’re not expecting it to break the bank.
That’s because it will be fitted with the same engine from the 2 Series Active Tourer 216i, that has a total capacity of 1.5-liters, 3 cylinders and a total output of 116 HP which aren’t nearly enough for a car of this size. If that doesn’t put you off, the €650 difference you have to pay for the 218i surely will.
The small price increase demanded for the 136 HP mill will be enough to persuade a lot of people to pony up and get an engine that actually gets you over the hill.
Going up in the range, the 220i, with its fancy 2-liter 4-cylinder engine making 192 HP will have a starting price of €32,450 and should provide plenty of grunt for any purposes.
On the diesel front, the entry-level 216d will be priced at €30,400 with its 116 horses while the 218d with 150 HP will cost €32,350. The only all-wheel drive diesel will be the 220d and the 190 HP mill will be demanding €40,200 to be driven off the lot.
As you can see, the price increase over the 2 Series Active Tourer are around €1,500 on average but that’s not the biggest problem the Gran Tourer has. The biggest problem comes from the competition that has more experience in the field.
The Renault Gran Scenic, for example, a car that has been in the segment of 7-seater MPVs for quite some time now, has a starting price of €26,400 for the 1.5-liter dCi model with 110 HP. That’s €4,000 less that an equivalent 216d and, even though Renault doesn’t claim this car to be premium, it’s still plenty to be taken into consideration.
However, until we actually get to drive this car, we can’t say which is best. Therefore the Geneva Motor Show where it’s bound to be unveiled in the metal, is turning out to be an interesting venue for us.
That’s because it will be fitted with the same engine from the 2 Series Active Tourer 216i, that has a total capacity of 1.5-liters, 3 cylinders and a total output of 116 HP which aren’t nearly enough for a car of this size. If that doesn’t put you off, the €650 difference you have to pay for the 218i surely will.
The small price increase demanded for the 136 HP mill will be enough to persuade a lot of people to pony up and get an engine that actually gets you over the hill.
Going up in the range, the 220i, with its fancy 2-liter 4-cylinder engine making 192 HP will have a starting price of €32,450 and should provide plenty of grunt for any purposes.
On the diesel front, the entry-level 216d will be priced at €30,400 with its 116 horses while the 218d with 150 HP will cost €32,350. The only all-wheel drive diesel will be the 220d and the 190 HP mill will be demanding €40,200 to be driven off the lot.
As you can see, the price increase over the 2 Series Active Tourer are around €1,500 on average but that’s not the biggest problem the Gran Tourer has. The biggest problem comes from the competition that has more experience in the field.
The Renault Gran Scenic, for example, a car that has been in the segment of 7-seater MPVs for quite some time now, has a starting price of €26,400 for the 1.5-liter dCi model with 110 HP. That’s €4,000 less that an equivalent 216d and, even though Renault doesn’t claim this car to be premium, it’s still plenty to be taken into consideration.
However, until we actually get to drive this car, we can’t say which is best. Therefore the Geneva Motor Show where it’s bound to be unveiled in the metal, is turning out to be an interesting venue for us.
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