2022 BMW M240i xDrive review: International first drive

Those who remember its Australian introduction in 2014 would be forgiven for feeling a little shiver at the mention of the BMW 2 Series. Not because the company’s little coupe was in any way lacklustre but because a completely different 2 Series Active Tourer model launched just months after, bringing a dumpy people-mover body and BMW’s first foray into front drive.

The decision to link two such radically different models with the same moniker still seems a little strange seven years on, but the other legacy that lives on is the model’s intrinsic connection to driven-wheel controversy.

While the F22 coupe has only ever been offered as a traditional rear-drive sports-focused model, for the second-generation G42, the flagship BMW M240i will only be available with all-wheel drive … for now.

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When it arrives in early 2022, the M240i xDrive will cost $89,990 before on-road costs – a premium of about $8000 over the outgoing M240i rear-drive but it’ll pack in a lot more than just an extra driven axle to justify the cost.

BMW’s Live Cockpit Professional will be standard fare in Australia, which means a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment display running iDrive System 7, a 12.3-inch digital dash, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are all included. As is the sensational Harman Kardon sound system.

The cabin gets a range of top-shelf materials and sports seats with options to upgrade to bucket seats, sunroof, heated seats and M-sport colour seatbelts to name a few. On the outside though, the new coupe gets a styling makeover that’s wildly different.

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For the first time since early 3 Series variants, the headlights have morphed into a single-light design as a nod to the 2002 of the 1970s, says BMW, and the effect is arresting. It combines with a wider grille with active louvres, massively bulged bonnet, muscular arches, and a new ‘pulse’ LED taillight design that’s equally radical.

The departure from tradition has divided opinion but is deeply pleasing on first inspection, especially when combined with optional larger 19-inch wheels and that Thundernight purple paint, which evokes BMW’s 1990’s Techno Violet.

For the first time since early 3 Series, the headlights have morphed into a single-light design as a nod to the 2002 of the 1970s, says BMW, and the effect is arresting.

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Then there’s the 3.0-litre straight-six turbo-petrol engine that produces an extra 25kW, taking peak power to 275kW (torque is unchanged at 500Nm). Add this to the extra traction and 0-100km/h acceleration has plummeted to 4.3 seconds (three tenths faster than the F22).

Number nerds will notice that the new coupe has more power than the M2 did when it was first introduced, prompting the question: Is the M240i more car for the cash? Well, after a first blast outside the model’s hometown of Munich, I have the answer.

More significantly than the power and traction advantages, the new 2 Series now rolls on the same platform as the larger 3 Series and 4 Series dizygotic twins and it really shows. Over the previous coupe, the new M240i is 105mm longer, 64mm wider and has a 51mm longer wheelbase. The result is a car that is visibly larger inside and out but most importantly, a track width that has increased 63mm at the front and 35mm at the rear combined with a 28mm lower overall height makes the new version feel completely different.

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Its chassis feels very square and there’s a stability and far more planted feel on the road, especially when hunting autobahn-only speeds. But the extra traction made possible by the adoption of xDrive can catch out the unwary with lower lateral grip in wintry conditions. Shod with Michelin Pilot Sport rubber, the M240i will happily slide into a four-wheel drift with little provocation.

Thankfully, the 50:50 weight distribution allows for careful monitoring of grip levels and the power delivery feels predominantly rear-biased. Even though there’s no option to force exclusive rear-drive as per the M5, the more aggressive drive modes can decide to send 100 per cent of power to the back end by themselves.

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It’s paired with a new neutral but tactile steering feel that has more in common with the current M3 than previous M2 DNA. The eight-speed automatic is slick and crisp but capable of delivering violent shifts in the Sport Plus mode and pairs well with the updated engine.

Hold that thought while we talk about the note – it’s glorious. There may be a little engine sound piped in via the stereo but it’s an honest and convincing noise broadcast live from under the bonnet. The newest version of the B58 sounds classically straight-six and even a little reminiscent of the early M20 and M30 12-valves.

Thankfully, the 50:50 weight distribution allows for careful monitoring of grip levels and the power delivery feels predominantly rear-biased.

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Other notable improvements include a 12 per cent increase to stiffness thanks in part to the addition of strut bracing, the enhanced LSD and adaptive M-Sport suspension for an overall more mature car. In essence, the current flagship of the 2 Series range feels more like a baby M3 than a more compelling M2-lite option.

But if the lack of a rear-drive option and manual gearbox is troubling you then fear not. BMW has confirmed an sDrive version of the M240i that, for now, will not be coming to Australia in favour of the more kit-packed xDrive. However, in the same vein as the popular M2 Pure, you can expect a stripper, track-focused version to emerge at a point down the line offering rear-drive, lighter weight and lower asking price.

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From a somewhat murky introduction seven years ago, the 2 Series has evolved into something with a much clearer path and incredibly bright prospects. Comparing the new M240i to the outgoing F87 M2 is a fruitless exercise but when used as a lens to glimpse the forthcoming G42-based M2, it reveals something truly awesome on the horizon.