Sheer Driving Pleasure for beginners? The BMW 218i Gran Coupé review!

November 22, 2021 Jonathan Ho Off BMW, Reviews,

BMW’s tagline of Sheer Driving Pleasure has always ring true to BMW enthusiasts as their products rarely fails to impress when you get behind the wheel of one. The same can be said for the BMW 218i Gran Coupé that we have been trying out over the weekend.

The media unit that we received was in Storm Bay Metallic, a colour we highly recommend if you are ever planning on getting one as it ties in well with the standard M Sport trim. On top of the M Sport trim, our particular test car was also decked out with optional M Performance Parts which includes a gloss black grille (RM576), carbon fiber mirror caps (RM4,324), a gloss black ducktail spoiler (RM2,070) and a carbon fiber tailpipe finisher (RM1,712). Should you like increased personalization, those optional parts might be worth considering.

After being handed over the keys and setting off, my first impression was how the 1.5 liter 3-cylinder judders at a borderline unacceptable level as the engine fired up. Thankfully, this only happens during start ups, which is another reason why we would personally switch off the start/stop function when driving this car. Secondly, the rather stiff M Sport suspension setup which makes daily driving on bad roads an unpleasant journey, but as a tradeoff you will be treated to an above average handling vehicle, especially for a front-wheel-drive car.

We took the 218i Gran Coupé for a day trip to Kuantan and back, using the opportunity to test the car to its maximum potential as the roads vary from smooth to challenging. During uphill climbs and sweeping bends, the 218i Gran Coupé has adequate power from its 134bhp and 220Nm of torque paired to the seamless 7-speed DCT gearbox which works so well with the powertrain. One surprising omission would be paddle shifters, which would be expected in a M Sport model with sporty pretentions.

When it comes to the handling department, the car does well and remains planted on smooth and fast sweeping bends. As mentioned before however, the ride can get extremely busy on lesser roads which does not inspire confidence to the driver especially at higher speeds. Speaking of higher speeds, NVH levels are rather good for a car with frameless windows as we didn’t notice much wind buffeting, and only noise that is coming from the tyres.

Having driven the car over five days and clocked 1600km, we have averaged 7.5L per 100km of fuel on the highway which is rather impressive for a 3-cylinder that can comfortably cruise beyond the speed limit at just 2000rpm. On the other hand, for city driving we averaged about 8.5L per 100km.

As for cabin space, the 218i Gran Coupé offers good amount of headroom and legroom in the rear for people of average height, but will be a struggle for people like me over six feet tall. In terms of practicality, you get a decent 430 liters of boot space which is more than sufficient for most cases. The rear seats also fold flat for that occasional furniture run.

Being an entry-level BMW, the 218i Gran Coupé gets the base BMW Live Cockpit Plus* system with an 8.8-inch touchscreen, an analogue instrument cluster with a 5.1-inch multi-info display, and the previous-generation iDrive 6.0 operating system. Unfortunately, Apple CarPlay costs extra but you do get standard navigation, a Qi wireless smartphone charger and six speakers.

*Update: As of 23rd November 2021, all BMW 218i Gran Coupés will come with the upgraded Live Cockpit Professional. This means a fully digital 10.25-inch front display cluster and central screen, up from the 5.1 inch and 8.8 inch displays respectively. This change also comes with a RM5k increase in base price.

Standard equipment also includes keyless entry, push-button start, dual-zone automatic climate control with rear air vents, power-adjustable sports seats with driver’s side memory, Dakota leather upholstery, a reverse camera and a hands-free opening boot lid. Safety-wise, you get the Driving Assistant package which consist of autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert. The Parking Assistant function is also available, complete with a Reversing Assistant.

One thing we wished possible would be the option of not having the stiffer M Sport suspension with the 10mm lower ride height. We do not think the busier ride is a worthy tradeoff for marginally better body control, especially on our roads. The closest rival to the 218i Gran Coupé would be the Mercedes-Benz A200 sedan, and when it comes to entry-level premium cars, sometimes the interior and exterior design is all it takes to sway one over the other.

The least expected competitor however, comes from within the brand. As tested, the price of our 218i comes awfully close to the 320i which offers a more premium driving experience. While the 218i Gran Coupé is a perfectly acceptable entry to BMW ownership, we’d recommend test driving the 3-Series along with the 2-Series before making your decision, because one of them brings you closer to sheer driving pleasure.