BMW just announced some interesting updates to the fun-size, rear-wheel-drive 2-series. Beginning in March of 2015, the entry-level 218i will be powered by the 1.5-liter turbo 3-cylinder that motivates the base model Mini Cooper, while elsewhere on the choice sheet buyers will be able to spec a diesel-powered 220d with all-wheel drive. There’s a catch, though: BMW tells us these setups will not be available in North America. Bummer.The 1.5-liter 3-banger will bring 136 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque to BMW’s littlest coupe. The organization says it’ll get the European equivalent of 42 to 46 miles per gallon, although at a bit of a expense to efficiency: The thrifty 3-cylinder will take a shade beneath 9 seconds to sprint to 60 mph. That nonetheless seems affordable to us, specifically given the competent 2-series chassis and availability of a true 3-pedal 6-speed manual. Consider of it as a rear-wheel-drive Mini Cooper, sorta.
Alongside the 218i, BMW will also roll out an all-wheel-drive version of the diesel-powered 220d, a setup the organization says will surpass the European equivalent of 50 mpg. With diesel torque to spare, such a model will sprint to 62 mph in a somewhat more sporting 6.8 seconds.
The poor news? Neither the thrifty 3-banger nor the torqueful diesel is headed to North America’s shores. A BMW spokesman confirmed to Vehicle and Driver that the 2015 lineup will stay the exact same as it ever was: 228i and M235i, in coupe and convertible kind, with optional all-wheel drive.
Of course, BMW is only interested in bringing to the U.S. the models that will sell well—meaning nicely appointed variants with enough motor to satisfy the Ultimate Driving Machine tagline we’ve been hearing because the mid-1970s. Still, we’d enjoy to get these thrifty 2-series variants more than right here. Guess we’re left carrying out what we usually do in this situation: staring longingly toward Europe and sighing.
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