2 Series Gran Coupe may be BMW's best bet yet to win India's luxury war
That said, it might just be what I recently drove on Chennai's East Coast Road (ECR) that could give BMW the real growth impetus it needs to overtake Mercedes-Benz: the second-generation BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe.
In the first half of 2025, BMW India, along with Mini, sold 7,774 cars, growing 10 per cent over the same period last year. This growth was largely due to several new products, such as the X3 SUV and, especially, the all-electric long-wheelbase iX1, which has propelled BMW to the top of the luxury EV sales charts.
And you know what? While the engine will attract plenty of comments — even though the same engine powers the Mini Cooper and BMW X1 — it has been tuned differently in Gran Coupe. It now produces 156 horsepower, and that power kicks in pretty fast. The 2 Series Gran Coupe does 0-100 kmph in 8.6 seconds.
For young buyers
While engines with an odd number of cylinders usually feel out of balance, BMW engineers have sparkled some pixie dust on the three-cylinder engine under the 2 Series Gran Coupe's hood. Unless you were told, you wouldn't know it's a three-cylinder engine. Sure, the engine sounds a bit gruff at low speeds from the outside, but inside the cabin, you can't hear a thing — so much so that at speed, BMW actually pipes in noise through the speakers.
Sure, anyone can go fast in a straight line, but this new car handles supremely well. While the ECR is pretty straight, Tamil Nadu police has helpfully (or not) set up roadblocks all over the place and this car handles direction changes without an issue. No screeching tyres, no violent body roll, just calm, measured confidence. One major improvement over the first generation car is the switch from harsh run-flat tyres to standard tubeless ones, which has made a world of difference.
No, this is not a performance car. It's not even as fast as the regular 3 Series sedan. But BMW India is launching it to appeal to younger buyers. They expect the target customer to be around 40 years old, maybe younger. A mid-career executive who wants to make a statement with the BMW badge. After all, rocking up at a family wedding in a BMW is still making a statement.
While the price hasn't been announced yet, it's expected to be around the Rs 50-lakh mark. In an era when luxury brands talk in crores, that's downright affordable. And according to BMW India executives, the company will be coming out with innovative payment schemes and buyback policies to bring this 'new' buyer into the luxury segment.
This isn't the first time BMW India has tried this playbook. Around 15 years ago, they launched 'Corporate Edition' variants of the X1 and 3 Series. But those cars were stripped-down versions — no sunroof, no bluetooth telephony, basic alloy wheels, and halogen headlights. While they sold well, priced below Rs 20 lakh at the time, there was some buyer's remorse. Even a Rs 5-lakh hatchback back then had features Corporate Edition cars did not.
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Eye on India
But BMW hasn't repeated that mistake. The new 2 Series Gran Coupe even has a heads-up display, something the current 5 Series lacks as standard. Everything's included: ambient lighting, a panoramic sunroof, Level-2 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and BMW's M-colour stitched on the dashboard lining. This vehicle will be sold in only one variant for the time being. There is no stripped-down model. That said, in the heat and humidity of a July afternoon near Chennai, I did palpably sense the lack of ventilated seats.
There are other issues as well. At around 4.6 metres long, this car is designed primarily with the driver in mind. Rear-seat comfort is not bad, but it's not ideal for someone on long drives. For a young family, though, it is perfect. There's plenty of luggage space and rear room for kids.
I have no doubt that BMW India's sales in the second half of 2025 will set new records. And the German carmaker has little choice but to ramp up things in India. Because, like every other German manufacturer, BMW is contracting sharply in China. In 2024, sales of BMW cars in the country dropped 13 per cent to 715,200 units from 826,300 in 2023. In the first quarter of 2025, sales in China fell by a precipitous 17.2 per cent.
India might not yet make up for BMW's China losses, but strategists in Munich have realised that their future depends on India. And the products they've launched here this year prove that they know exactly what they're doing, because this 2 Series Gran Coupe is a genuinely good car.
Kushan Mitra is an automotive journalist based in New Delhi. He tweets @kushanmitra. Views are personal.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)
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