BMW 216i Gran Coupe review: Baby BMW beats rising prices

IT MAY be petite, but the 216i Gran Coupe might well be BMW’s next big thing here. That’s because it is now the cheapest four-door car from the German luxury label, at S$199,888 with Certificate Of Entitlement (COE). The next model up, the 218i, costs a good S$33,000 more. 

You might have guessed as much, but a chunk of the price difference is down to the COE premium; the one for a 216i costs S$74,989 at the close of this week’s COE auction; the certificate for a 218i ended bidding at S$106,001. The cleaner gases exiting the 216i’s tailpipe earn it a S$15,000 tax rebate, too.

If you find the numbers boring, don’t expect the 216i to supply the excitement. Its 1.5-litre engine makes a merry burble, and it pulls the little four-door coupe along with a lot of heart, but it has only 109 horsepower, which is adequate, at best, for our roads. Whether you reckon a compact BMW will let you keep up with the Joneses, the 216i will at least keep up with other traffic, just about.

It does have a thing for corners, though, so you can at least take some joy in flinging the little BMW from bend to bend and revelling in how well it copes with your attempts to unstick the tyres.

That said, most people will fancy the 216i simply because it looks like a BMW, and one of the better ones at that. It has a slender side profile, a front grille that is understated by contemporary BMW standards and relatively slim lamps, all of which add the kind of sporty athleticism that sells cars these days.

It’s fashionably digital inside, too, with virtual instruments and a big touchscreen, although it does retain a few physical buttons, switches and knobs, so the controls are a pleasure to use. 

Where the 216i Gran Coupe falls short is in the back, where headroom is tight and fitting 3 people in would probably be easier if a vat of vaseline were involved. The boot is actually of a useful size and shape, but BMW itself says the 2 Series Gran Coupe isn’t a family car. Instead, it’s easy to sum the 216i Gran Coupe up as a little car that’s a little posh, a little stylish and a little slow.

After driving this, though, it’s hard to make the case for spending another S$33,000 on a 218i just for an extra 25 horsepower. If you have a thirst for speed, neither car is quick enough to slake it, so you might as well get the cheaper one. At this end of the BMW model range, slow and steady wins the sales race.

BMW 216i Gran Coupe

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Engine 1,499 cc, turbo in-line 3

Power 109 hp at 4,300 to 6,500 rpm

Torque 190 Nm at 1,380 to 3,800 rpm

Gearbox 7-speed twin-clutch automatic

0-100km/h 10.8 seconds

Top speed 200 km/h

Fuel efficiency 5.5 L/100 km

Agent Performance Motors Limited

Price S$199,888 with COE

Available Now