The first generation of the 2-Series Gran Tourer was introduced in June 2015.
It was the second shock for the German brand’s fans, which couldn’t accept a front-wheel-drive BWM.

But the BMW management didn’t back up and backed-up the project. They knew that the market needed a small vehicle able to carry more people inside a city and a regular 2- or 3-Series just wouldn’t fit the needs. Meanwhile, the Mercedes-Benz already had the A-Class and the B-Class which were suitable for that customer segment.

Despite its compact size, the 2-Series Gran Tourer offered enough room for five adults plus two children inside. Since it used the same platform as a Mini, with a transverse engine, the designers had more room for the cabin. The rear side of the car was extended when compared to the Active Tourer, to accommodate an extra set of seats in the trunk area. The facelift brought a new front fascia, with a larger and taller grille design, and new headlights.

Inside, the center stack was tilted toward the driver, emphasizing its role. There were new materials used for the interior and a new BMW M-Performance package. The longer seat cushions made the vehicle more comfortable on long journeys. The customers could choose from different trim levels, including Luxury Line, Sport Line, and M Sport packages.

For the powertrain, the facelift received a wide choice of three- and four-cylinder units, plus a plug-in hybrid. The 2-Series Gran Tourer was available with a choice of a manual or automatic transmission, including a new, 7-speed dual-clutch one.

The 2-Series Gran Tourer from BMW was the first modern try of the German car-maker to enter the small MPV market, with a premium vehicle that offered more room and luxury for the segment.
The Gran Tourer was the seven-seat version of the 2014 BMW 2-Series Active Tourer. Despite bearing the 2-Series name, the car was related more to the MINI hatchback than to the 2-Series. It featured a front-wheel-drive architecture instead of a rear-wheel-drive one, as used by the regular 2-Series.

The front looked different than a regular BMW, but still featured the kidney-grille design. The headlights didn’t have that “angry-face” from its siblings, but more like a calming down look. With the raked A-pillars almost in the same line with the hood line, the 2-Series Gran Tourer featured a classic profile of an MPV. The long roofline was longer than on the Active Tourer. The last row of side windows, behind the rear doors, were longer than on its 5-passenger sibling.

Inside, there were the same high-quality materials as in a regular BMW 2-Series. The flat dashboard design was carried over from the 2-Series Active Tourer. The infotainment system featured an option for a 6.5” color display on the center stack and it was accessible via the rotary knob of the iDrive system. The last row of seats was foldable and placed in the trunk area.

For the powertrain, the 2-Series Gran Tourer featured front or all-wheel-drive traction systems. It offered a wide choice of engines with three or four cylinders and power between 116 hp and 192 hp. Unlike the Active Tourer version, it was not available with a plug-in hybrid version.