BMW's been on a tear updating its lineup lately. On Wednesday, the automaker revealed the updated 2 Series, and if you can spot the changes, you really know your BMWs. Sales are set to begin in August, and a slight price increase bumps the whole lineup over the $40,000 mark.
As far as we can tell, there are no mechanical changes for the 2 Series, with the 230i's 2.0-liter four-cylinder and M240i's 3.0-liter 'six carried over as before. That means 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque for the former, and 382 hp and 369 lb-ft for the latter. Both come standard with an eight-speed automatic transmission, with xDrive all-wheel drive a $2,000 option.
Outside, the updated 2 Series is distinguished by, well, not much. There's a new, optional "M Sport Professional" package with blacked-out trim and an additional spoiler. And BMW has added a few new color options, including the Vegas Red you see here, and Zandvoort Blue, which was previously exclusive to the M2 but now is available for the M240i.
Most notable inside is the infotainment system running BMW's iDrive 8.5 system, which is a little easier to use than the previous version. There's also new standard ambient lighting that's integrated into the climate-control vents. Which is cool, I suppose. There's also new steering wheel designs, including a flat-bottom wheel for the sportier versions, and heated seats are now standard.
So, there's not much revolutionary here, but the 2 Series wasn't wanting for much either. It should still provide an ideal entry point for classic BMW driving dynamics.
