Convertibles are all about enjoying the sun on your face and the wind in your hair. They come in a range of sizes, from small cars to supercars with seating for two or four, and buyers can choose between models with conventional soft-tops or retractable hard-tops.
Introduced at last year's Paris Motor Show, the BMW 2 Series Convertible joins the 2 Series Coupe and Active Tourer front-wheel drive compact MPV in BMW's new and refined premium compact lineup.
The third variant of the 2 Series range has some big shoes to fill: more than 130,000 units of its predecessor, the 1 Series Convertible, was sold worldwide, making it the most successful car in its segment.
Exterior
Thankfully, BMW didn't mess with the winning formula of the 2 Series Coupe too much, basing the 2 Series Convertible on the solid bones of its coupe sibling.
The classic long hood, short overhangs and set-back passenger compartment give the 2 Series Convertible a sleeker look than its predecessor. With the top up, the car faithfully mimics the three-box stance of its coupe sibling and strikes a rather formal profile.
One particularly neat design touch is the crease on the shoulder line of the car, which starts just behind the front wheel arches and runs all the way around the back of the car, helping to increase the car's visual presence.
And with the top down, we like the way the shoulder line blends into the soft-top storage compartment, providing the familiar 'boat-like' profile that contributes to the style icon status of Bimmer convertibles.
Standing at 4,432mm x 1,774mm x 1,413mm (L x W x H), the 2 Series Convertible is 72mm longer, 26mm wider and 2mm taller than the old 1 Series Convertible. It is also just as long and wide as its coupe sibling, but 5mm lower.
Interior
The bigger footprint as compared to its predecessor results in a more spacious interior.
The 2 Series Convertible shares the same wheelbase as its coupe brethren but the rear seats are shuffled forward to make way for the hood mechanism and storage, so there's a tad less legroom here. Nonetheless, infinite headroom is just a button's press away.
Practicality isn’t too bad for a small convertible, with a good sized boot that will easily swallow a decent sized suitcase or two, and poses no challenge for the week's groceries or that short weekend road trip.
The bigger footprint as compared to its predecessor results in a more spacious interior.
The 2 Series Convertible shares the same wheelbase as its coupe brethren but the rear seats are shuffled forward to make way for the hood mechanism and storage, so there's a tad less legroom here. Nonetheless, infinite headroom is just a button's press away.
Practicality isn’t too bad for a small convertible, with a good sized boot that will easily swallow a decent sized suitcase or two, and poses no challenge for the week's groceries or that short weekend road trip.
Disregarding the absence of a solid roof and a slightly smaller boot, the 2 Series Convertible's cabin is familiar territory. Most of the interior is carried over from the 2 Series Coupe although the seatbelt is a tad harder to reach thanks to the absence of a B-pillar.
A well-insulated soft-top keeps road noise down, even as quiet as its hard-top sibling with the roof in place, which is a commendable effort by BMW engineers.
Attention has been paid to the open-top experience, too, with improved aerodynamics reducing top-down cabin noise. We also didn't experience difficulty reading information on the LCD screens, thanks to surfaces designed to reduce glare.
The Drive
As is the case with the 220i Coupe, the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine remains a willing dance partner under the hood of the 220i Convertible. The other accomplice is BMW's ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission that is famous for its refinement, efficiency and willingness to change personality.
Although the two cars are equipped by the same drivetrain, there is a slight lack of gusto in the convertible. Off the line, the 220i Convertible takes 7.5 seconds to go from 0 to 100km/h, 0.5 seconds slower than its coupe equivalent, but unless you drive them side-by-side, you'd be hard pushed to really notice.
This could be due to a 235kg weight increase over the 220i Coupe, but thankfully the weight penalty doesn't hurt the car too much in corners, as it still remains as fun and tossable as ever.
More importantly, the extra strengthening of 20 percent the car receives to make up for the lack of a roof has really imbued it with a strong, solid feel as there was hardly a hint of scuttle shake during our test drive.
As is the case with the 220i Coupe, the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine remains a willing dance partner under the hood of the 220i Convertible. The other accomplice is BMW's ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission that is famous for its refinement, efficiency and willingness to change personality.
Although the two cars are equipped by the same drivetrain, there is a slight lack of gusto in the convertible. Off the line, the 220i Convertible takes 7.5 seconds to go from 0 to 100km/h, 0.5 seconds slower than its coupe equivalent, but unless you drive them side-by-side, you'd be hard pushed to really notice.
This could be due to a 235kg weight increase over the 220i Coupe, but thankfully the weight penalty doesn't hurt the car too much in corners, as it still remains as fun and tossable as ever.
More importantly, the extra strengthening of 20 percent the car receives to make up for the lack of a roof has really imbued it with a strong, solid feel as there was hardly a hint of scuttle shake during our test drive.
Another commendable feature is the nicely weighted steering that is full of feel while there's plenty of grip and a nice balance to the handling - giving the driver plenty of confidence to push the car.
It also happens to ride well, considering the extra weight, absorbing bumps and poor road surfaces without any complaints.
Conclusion
The 2 Series Convertible is a civilised yet sporty drop-top that has all the benefits of BMW's high-end technology and build quality.
Lopping off the roof hasn't spoiled the drive for this car. It may be a little slower, heftier and less rigid than its hard-top sibling, but it's a cracking convertible with the sun on your face and wind in your hair all the same.
