• Lots of kneeroom in the back
• Not so much headroom if you’re tall
• Shallow but long boot

How much space is there?

The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe’s plunging roofline might be stylish, but it throws up some practicality issues. The biggest problem is headroom. There’s a lot less than you get in the rear of the 1 Series hatchback, which means passengers measuring 5ft 10in or taller will need to duck to under the door frame when climbing in the rear.

Once inside, they’ll find the back of their head brushes the headliner if they try to lean back against the headrest. It isn’t too much of an issue on a short hop, but we reckon it’d become incredibly irritating on a long journey. There’s more than enough space back there for children, though.

There’s a surprisingly generous amount of knee room for rear passengers. You don’t have much space under the front seats for your feet but, unlike the previous-generation rear-wheel 1 Series hatchback, the central tunnel doesn’t steal acres of foot space from the middle passenger.

Boot space and storage

You get 430 litres of boot space in the 2 Series Gran Coupe, which is 50 litres more than the 1 Series hatch on which it’s based. Critically, the BMW’s boot is larger than the Mercedes A-Class Saloon‘s and Audi A3 Saloon‘s.

The space is deep enough to hold long items and has a generous storage are under the boot board. However, that low boot lid means carrying taller items is trickier, and it’s naturally less convenient than the tailgate-equipped 1 Series. Still, if you need to carry larger items, the rear seats fold in a 40/20/40 split. That means you can carry passengers at the same time if need be.

Interior storage space is generous, too. Up front, you get large door bins, a cubby box underneath the centre armrest, a glovebox, two front cupholders ahead of the gear lever and a tray that allows your smart phone to sit at an angle. In the rear, there are map pockets on the back of the front seats and some pretty long door bins.

Is it easy to park?

It’s a little more difficult than the 1 Series hatchback, but not by much. You need to be wary of the extra bodywork at the rear of the car – and the lack of a rear windscreen wiper means rear visibility can easily be compromised in the winter. But BMW offers plenty of technology to work around these issues.

Rear parking sensors are fitted as standard, but buyers can specify an optional Park Assist pack which comes with a rear-view camera, automatic parking and reverse assistant.

Safety

• Variety of active safety systems
• Includes city braking function
• Rear collision, cross traffic warnings

Euro NCAP assessed the 2 Series Gran Coupe in 2019. The safety body based its results on those of the mechanically similar 1 Series, performing additional tests where necessary. The testers awarded the car a five-star rating, noting that the 2 Series Gran Coupe offered better adult occupant protection score than the 1 Series hatchback, as it seats and head restraints offer better protection against whiplash.

However, Euro NCAP has since revised its test protocols. That means the 2 Series Gran Coupe’s score could drop slightly if it was re-tested today.

You get plenty of safety equipment that’s designed to prevent you from having an accident. Key features include a collision and pedestrian warning system with autonomous emergency braking, which issues a warning if you’re about to collide with someone or something. The system works from very low speeds in town, from jogging pace, up to around 37mph.

You also get lane departure warning and active lane-keeping assist, which prompts a warning if you stray from your lane without indicating from speeds as low as 12mph, all the way up to 155mph (assuming you’re on holiday in Germany.) A visual warning is issued first, and torque is applied to the steering autonomously should the driver not respond.

All models come with automatic windscreen wipers and LED headlights as standard. Adaptive LED headlights are available as an option, as well as automatic high-beam assist.

You can also upgrade the cruise control system to be adaptive and it’s very good at responding to vehicles ahead, with a smooth application of the brakes. Other systems from rival manufacturers are too abrupt when it comes to this, taking away how relaxed a journey should be when using the technology.