News: BMW lifts the roof on new 2-series convertible

ARE BMW 2-series buyers less intelligent than their 1-series contemporaries? The car maker says the interior of the new 2-series convertible has been “deliberately kept as simple as possible.”

So instead of the usual array of buttons, dials and complex surfaces and mouldings, buyers of the new model get a cabin that features what the car maker describes as “driver-focused controls and clear instruments.”

They also get a car that is longer and wider than the 1-series convertible that it replaces and which, crucially for cabin room, has a longer wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels). The boot is also larger, at 335 litres, while the body is 20% stiffer than the old car’s.

Along with the stronger and roomier four-seat body, track widths (the distance between wheels on the same axle) have also been increased with the widest part of the car being the rear wheelarch area. According to BMW this emphasizes the model’s unique-in-class, rear-wheel drive layout.

Four engines will be available from launch: a 220i petrol with 184bhp, a 228i with 245bhp, a new 220d with 190bhp and the sporty M235i producing 326bhp.

Standard trim includes Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming, and a DAB radio. Options include Driving Assistant, Collision Warning and Rear Park Distance Control. Trim levels from launch are Sport, Luxury and M Sport, with SE to follow.

Of primary concern to the model’s simple buyers will no doubt be the speed of the electric hood’s operation. In fact, it is one second slower than the old 1-series hood, opening or closing in 20 seconds compared with the 1-series’ 19 seconds. On the flipside, while the old model’s hood can be operated at speeds up to 30mph, the new car’s hood can be activated at speeds “just over 30mph”.

The new BMW 2-series convertible, which will be unveiled at the Paris show, is on sale from next February, with prices ranging from £29,180 for the 220 Sport to £37,710 for the M235i.

Search for and buy used BMW 2-series here