2020 BMW M235i Gran Coupe Shows Up at Nurburgring, Sounds Like Understeer

The 2er GC, which will be a rival for the Mercedes-Benz CLA, will see its range being topped by the M235i model, at least initially. Well, this M Performance version is currently undergoing Nurburgring testing.

With test engineers pushing the compact four-door coupe hard, you can hear the undesteer - the M235i does come with xDrive, but it's still based on a FWD platform and, at least judging by the soundtrack of the test car, it seems the front axle still remains dominant in terms of power delivery.

Of course, we'll have to wait for the showroom arrival of the mode before we can properly talk about the handling, so here's to hoping the go will actually match the sporty styling cues of the German machine.

The newcomer will borrow the oily bits of the X2 M35i, which means we'll get a little over 300 ponies and a peak torque of 332 lb-ft (450 Nm), plus an eight-speed automatic, which sounds just right as far as the battle against the 306 hp Mercedes-AMG CLA35 model is concerned.

For the crossover, that tech setup means completing the 0 to 62 mph sprint in 4.9 seconds, which makes for respectable sprinting performance by any standards.

The rumor mill talks about a hybrid M Performance model that would replace the M235i GC further down the road. The future range-topper is expected to mix a turbocharged engine (think: over 250 hp) with a 65 kW (88 hp) electric motor.

Fortunately, the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe will come to the US, with the global debut of the vehicle expected to take place by the end of the year.