Yahoo Autos BMW 2-Series GC Chases Mercedes Downmarket
If it weren't for the piles of money on the line, there would be something rather childish about German automakers and their never-ending match game. As they busy themselves inventing new niches and body styles, BMW and Mercedes-Benz keep one eye on ensuring that the other carmaker doesn't have anything in its portfolio without a direct competitor. So it doesn't surprise us that BMW now has an entry-level four-door built on a transverse-engine Mini platform so much as it surprises us that the company took so long to come up with a response to Mercedes-Benz's CLA.
Like the first-generation CLA, the 2-series Gran Coupe seems to have been born into its awkward adolescent phase. We see hints of Toyota Corolla and Dodge Dart in the C-pillars, and the sloping roof and high trunklid mean this little four-door bears a striking resemblance to the X6 from the rear. That roofline, a Gran Coupe hallmark, takes its toll on rear-seat headroom. This is a starter BMW for starter families, with a second row that is best suited to children. The door openings themselves are a squeeze for even average-size adults. And fitting a rear-facing child seat would probably require the front passenger's seat be moved so far forward as to almost render the car a cater-cornered two-seater. There's something nonsensical about a car called a "coupe" when it has four doors and a back seat that's nearly as small and difficult to access as a two-door's.
The experience is far better up front. The seating position is low but offers good forward sightlines. A wide range of adjustments in the seat and steering wheel means that, unlike in the tiny rear seat, anybody can get comfortable here.
