Even as many automakers have shifted focus to SUVs, BMW offers a range of cars, including the small, sporty 2 Series. It enters the 2026 model year with two available body styles, including two speedy M-tuned models, and it gained some meaningful updates.
2026 BMW 2 Series Pricing, Specs, and Release Date
- What’s New for the 2026 BMW 2 Series
- Design
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Technology
- Safety
- Pricing and Release Date
- Further Research
What’s New for the 2026 BMW 2 Series
The 2026 2 Series received a new front-wheel-drive (FWD) 228 sDrive Gran Coupe model, which retains many of the all-wheel-drive (AWD) xDrive's standard features but delivers less horsepower and features a more affordable drivetrain.
Design
The 2 Series is available as a coupe or Gran Coupe, which is a swoopy four-door shape. Gran Coupes have a swept-back look with a sloping roof, and the standard coupe has a boxier shape. The M2’s fender flares and muscular lines fit its high-performance attitude, and BMW offers a range of wheel designs, depending on the trim and options package.
Powertrain
The 2 Series Gran Coupe comes standard with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which produces 241 horsepower, and up to 312 horsepower in the M235. The 230i coupe has 255 horsepower, and the M2 offers up to 523 horsepower. The standard cars take around 5.5 seconds to reach 60 mph from a standstill, but the M240i coupe can do it in 4.5 seconds, and the M2 takes just 4.1 seconds.
Interior
The Gran Coupe has a usable back seat, but the coupe’s second row is too small for most. Synthetic or genuine leathers are available, and the M2 can be had with extremely aggressive carbon fiber bucket seats. Both body styles suffer from limited interior headroom due to their sporty rooflines, and neither offers particularly generous cargo space, with the Gran Coupe’s trunk only able to hold 12 cubic feet of gear.
Technology
BMW equips the 2026 2 Series with a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster and a 10.7-inch touchscreen. Other standard features include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android auto, navigation, SiriusXM, AirConsole games, wireless phone charging, LED ambient interior lighting, a Harman Kardon sound system, and more. BMW’s infotainment interface is one of the more feature-rich systems in the business, but there’s so much going on that it can be overwhelming at times. It does offer a range of customization options that make it more agreeable, but that process takes some time to get everything set up.
Safety
The 2026 BMW 2 Series is too new to have been crash-tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), but it comes well-equipped with advanced driver-assistance technologies. The list includes automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, traffic-sign recognition, parking sensors, automatic high beams, and more. Adaptive cruise control, a head-up display, a surround-view camera, and adaptive headlights are available.
Pricing and Release Date
As of this writing, pricing for the 2026 BMW 2 Series starts at $39,600 for the Gran Coupe. The 2 Series Coupe starts at $41,700, and the M2 starts at $68,200. All models are on sale now. BMW also offers a range of options that push prices higher.
