September arrival for BMW's 228i coupe

BMW has opened up the order books for an upcoming addition to its 2 Series coupe range, with plans to add a mid-spec 228i priced from $64,400 excluding on-road costs from September.

The 228i was announced at the 2 Series launch in February this year, but BMW has kept pricing, specification and performance figures under wraps until now.

The delay in the 228i's arrival is due to global production starting in July as the Bavarian brand sticks to its strategy of kicking off with key variants from launch before expanding the range six months later, similar to what it did with the staged roll-out of the 4 Series coupe.

The $64,400 starting price is $13,900 more than the entry-level 220i variant on which the 228i is based, but BMW has enriched the standard features list and boosted the outputs of the 2.0-litre four-cylinder TwinPower turbo-petrol engine.

With 180kW of power and 350Nm of torque on tap, the 228i is 45kW/80Nm more powerful than the 220i but still a good 60kW/100Nm off the figures of the 2 Series range’s M235i performance flagship. Naturally, it matches the output of both the 328i sedan and 428i coupe with which it shares its powerplant.

BMW claims a 0-100km/h sprint of 5.7 seconds for the 228i, which outpaces the 7.0-second run of the 220i, but is slower than the M235i that completes the dash in a claimed 4.8 seconds.

The rear-drive coupe is matched with a standard eight-speed automatic transmission – a six-speed manual gearbox is a no-cost option – with an official combined fuel figure of 6.7 litres per 100 kilometres, equalling the less powerful 220i in manual guise.

Standard gear in the 228i and shared with the base variant includes the business version of BMW's sat-nav system matched to a 6.5-inch colour screen, a six-speaker stereo system with Bluetooth phone and audio, voice control and auxiliary and USB connection.

Rear parking sensors, automatic climate control, tinted windows, dusk-sensing headlights, sports seats, the BMW ConnectedDrive application platform, auto-dimming interior mirror and rain-sensing wipers are all standard.

On top of the spec level of the 220i, the 228i gains 18-inch alloy wheels (up from 17-inch), front parking sensors, bi-Xenon headlights, variable sports steering, Dakota leather upholstery with either chrome line or high-gloss shadowline exterior trim depending on whether the Sport or Modern exterior styling package is chosen.

BMW Group Australia general manager of marketing Toni Andreevski said the new variant gave buyers more choice, and should be popular with people seeking more performance in the 2 Series range.

“The multi-award-winning engine used in the 328i and 428i has proved to be the sweet spot in their respective ranges, delivering impressive power with a rorty exhaust note and remarkable efficiency,” he said.

“The 2.0-litre TwinPower turbo engine has received critical acclaim from automotive experts, being awarded international engine of the year in its category for the last two years, so naturally we’re delighted to add this fantastic powerplant to our beautiful 2 Series coupe body.”2014 BMW 2 Series pricing*

220i (a)	$50,500
220d (a)	$52,500
228i (a)	$64,400
M235i (a)	$80,400

*Excludes on-road costs.