BMW 220i M Sport Coupe 2022 review – poser or entry-level sports coupe?

BMW’s renaissance in recent years has generally been contained to the upper limits of the model range. BMW M’s new M3/4 (in all forms), the eCoty-winning M2 CS and M5 CS, and even the not-so-humble M Performance models have all proven their excellence in almost every capacity – even BMW’s schizophrenic design language is starting to soften up. Yet one can’t drive around without noting that a vast majority of the BMWs on our roads are not the high-performance models that we’re used to driving at evo, but entry-level, small-engined variants that are generally far less interesting – or so that’s the assumption.

There’s no greater claim for this than the new BMW 220i M Sport. It’s a base model 2-series coupe, that in Active Tourer or Gran Coupe forms are about as enticing to drive as a Fiat 500L rental from Malpensa Airport. In its latest G42-generation coupe guise, though, it really is a striking coupe – aggressively styled, with big wheels, brakes and wheelarches.

Yet despite its aggressive exterior styling, this 220i only generates 181bhp from its B48 turbocharged 2-litre four-cylinder engine. And as we’ve experienced in just about everything we’ve driven with this engine fitted – whether it be a BMW X3, Toyota Supra or Morgan Plus 4 – it’s nothing more than an effective workhorse, strong in the low-end but so unwilling to extend to anything more than 3500rpm.

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Things don’t get much better on paper, either. The 220i weighs in at 1490kg, so it’ll take 7.5sec to reach 62mph, hardly hot hatchback performance. It won’t get near needing a 155mph limiter either, running out of puff at 146mph. It’s also automatic-only.

Yet while the BMW 220i M Sport might feel more than a touch undernourished when you plant your foot on the accelerator, give the familiarly over-thick steering wheel some lock and it’s clear that, yes, the engine might be underwhelming, but there’s nothing at all wrong with this car’s chassis, far from it in fact. Unlike any 2-series before, the new Coupe has been developed from the top down, utilising a chopped-up version of the CLAR architecture that’s underneath everything from a Z4 to an X7. Here, it’s built for the job of giving the forthcoming M2 a rock-solid base to work from. As a result, the 220i hides away an incredibly responsive and capable chassis, one that feels able to handle double the power, triple even.

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The steering is crisp, responsive, and motivates the nose with real enthusiasm. The rack is quite quick, but there’s so much inherent stability across the front axle that you can place it with real clarity. It generates some proper grip, too, keying into the road surface, building in weight with a natural quality that feels derived, if not sliced, from exactly the same loaf of sourdough as a modern M3.

All UK cars also don’t just come in M Sport trim, but with M Sport suspension on passive dampers, too, giving it a firm but superbly damped ride. There’s no doubt it could turn off some potential buyers looking for a small coupe and not a small sports car, but in this context it gives the 220i superb body control, and with a 200kg deficit compared to a M240i feels incredibly agile and light on its feet.

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Yet as good as this car’s chassis is, with only 181bhp at your disposal you just can’t really get away from its sheer lack of grunt. When you’re driving what feels as impressively balanced and poised as the 220i, you can't help but wish for that extra one (or two, or three) hundred horsepower. A nice side-effect is the 45-50mpg we averaged over a mixed week of driving, mind.

It’s also very well built, and despite looking a little awkward from some angles feels and looks more special than basic 2-series coupes did before. It’s almost as if BMW did themselves a disservice by calling it such – the reborn 2002 feels more appropriate. 

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Prices and rivals

BMW has recently given the 2-series coupe a bit of a price bump, which does come as a surprise considering it’s still so new to the market. As a result, a basic 220i will now cost from £36,010 basic, which is around the same price as a current Mk8 VW Golf GTI or a packet of boneless, skinless chicken thighs from Waitrose. Consider the two rivals, and there’s plenty of reason to prefer the BMW, as while the Golf has a 60bhp-odd advantage in power, the BMW’s far more capable and involving a tool.

Another reason for the BMW’s recent price rise has been its interior update, with the previous car barely lasting a single model year before being switched over to BMW’s new curved glass interface that sits on a slimmer and more contemporary dashboard. The interface has suffered – it’s just not as user-friendly as before – and despite being made from some pretty horrendous plastic, we also miss the old joystick gearlever, now it’s just a tiny switch that doesn’t allow for changes from the lever.

As rival coupes go, there’s not much in the 2-series’ orbit to compare to – Porsche’s 718 Cayman is a £10k+ premium, so too an Alpine A110 and Toyota’s four-cylinder Supra 2.0. All of these two-seaters are more uncompromising, but then all are more serious sports car propositions. Hot hatchbacks seem the closest in terms of price, but then all are significantly quicker, and with perhaps one or two caveats are nothing like as accomplished to drive.