BMW M240i

The 2022 BMW M240i will be available in a single trim level and two drivetrain options. Since the car will enter into its second-generation model, the list of features and available packages will be increased and reshuffled. But nothing has been made official yet. The outgoing model already offers a plethora of features and options, promising to offer a superb experience. Some of the standard features include a leather-wrapped M steering wheel, 18-inch wheels, adaptive suspensions, enhanced brakes, moonroof, and keyless entry. The Convenience package on offer with the lower 2 Series models is offered as standard with the M240i. Some optional features and packages include adaptive headlights, a premium Harman Kardon audio system, a wireless charging pad, and a navigation system. The Premium Package includes a heating function for the steering wheel and a universal garage door opener system. The standard Convenience package includes keyless entry, auto-dimming mirrors, adjustable lumbar, ambient interior lighting, and a moonroof.

We Recommend

It is yet to be seen what the optional packages and features are that the new model will come with. Based on the current model, we would recommend the Premium Package as well to have a better experience with the already feature-packed car.

Release Date

The 2022 BMW M240i is expected to hit the market by November 2021.

Modern high-performance and compact cars do offer some praiseworthy fuel economy ratings while offering exceptional performance numbers. The 2022 BMW M240i will see no major upgrade in the powertrain department and its EPA ratings will also be quite similar to the outgoing model’s numbers. The city mileage of the car is rated at 22mpg while out on the highways, the car can cover 30miles on a single gallon of fuel. The combined rating stands at 24mpg. However, with a rather small gas tank of 13-gallon, the M240i fails to deliver decent driving range numbers when compared to some of its rivals.

The Audi S3 impresses with its driving range figures since it gets a sizable 15.3-gallon gas tank. However, its fuel efficiency is sub-par considering its power and performance levels on offer. The Mercedes-Benz AMG CLA35 has a marginally better city mileage of 23mpg and combined mileage of 25mpg when compared to the M240i and a 29mpg of highway mileage. Its driving range figures are slightly on the lower side when compared to the M240i owing to its marginally smaller gas tank. The Cadillac CT4-V only gets a comparable highway mileage of 29mpg. Both the city and combined mileage ratings are the lowest among the rivals here but the car does impress with its big 16.6-gallon gas tank and some impressive driving range numbers.

With a completely redesigned model for the 2022 model year, the M240i will get a new interior. However, it looks quite identical to the current 4 Series and 3 Series models. That being said, the interior design is quite appealing though with digital screens all across the interior. The dashboard design is quite driver-oriented with the controls and the infotainment screen angled towards the driver’s seat.

There are a fair bit of buttons below the air-con vents and the left side of the steering wheel, but all of them are easily accessible. The center stack houses the gear selector stick along with some buttons on its left side and a rotary knob with an integrated touchpad for the infotainment controls on its right side. The armrest is soft and has a storage compartment under it. There are adequate storage cubbies throughout the cabin including the door pockets as well. The front seats offer a good amount of support along with impressive comfort levels. The headroom and legroom are adequate too. The rear seats are nearly impractical with short headroom and legroom and are best suited for storing luggage items. The cargo compartment is generous at 13.8 cu-ft.

The Audi S3 gets one of the most interesting interiors among the rivals here. Its dashboard design resembles a fighter jet’s cockpit with a driver-focused cockpit design. The infotainment screen and the controls are aligned towards the driver’s seat, much like the M240i but it falls short in terms of overall cabin space. Its headroom is just adequate for an average person while tall drivers and passengers will find the headroom on the lower side. However, it gets fully usable rear seats compared to the M240i’s cramped rear seats. The Mercedes-Benz AMG CLA35 gets a screen-heavy dashboard and a futuristic design language adopted from the top-end S Class sedans. The unique and circular air-con vents look elegant and the dashboard looks less cluttered with minimal buttons for controls. The front seats offer excellent comfort levels and multi-way electronic adjustability and the cabin gets a plethora of features as well. The rear seats do offer a decent amount of space but the headroom is on the lower side owing to the sloping roofline. The cargo capacity is decent at 11.6 cu-ft. The Cadillac CT4-V truly stands out in the crowd of the German rivals with its perfectly blended modern and classy cabin. Surely, it lacks those big screens and minimal controls you’d find on the German cars in the segment but its sleek and less cluttered dashboard with a compact infotainment screen and a well-put-together center stack that houses the gear selector stick along with some rotary control knobs accentuate the interior nicely. The analog and digital instrument cluster still have that old-school appeal to it while the steering wheel gets a simple design with minimal controls mounted on it. The cargo space is decent at 10.4 cu-ft.

Some interior features are:

• SensaTEC Oyster/ Black & Pure Black and premium Dakota leather upholstery
• Heated front seats
• Keyless entry 
• Auto-dimming mirrors
• Adjustable lumbar support
• Ambient interior lighting 

How intuitive is the infotainment system?

The 2022 BMW M240i will come with the previously optional 8.8-inch infotainment display as standard and is expected to run the latest version of the iDrive system. The outgoing model’s iDrive interface is excellent to use with a user-friendly layout and a fluid interface.

The iDrive controller on the center stack might require some time to get used to but feels nice to operate with the integrated touchpad on top of it. Some of the features include Apple CarPlay, integrated navigation, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and a wireless chagrin pad.

Some standout infotainment features of the infotainment system are:

• 8.8-inch display with iDrive interface
• 7-speaker sound system with CD Player
• Wireless charging pad
• Apple CarPlay
• Bluetooth
• Satellite Navigation
• USB port
• Premium Harman Kardon audio system

The 2022 BMW M240i will get an extensive exterior redesign and the upcoming model will have a slightly longer wheelbase than the outgoing model. Fortunately, the upcoming model will not get the polarizing and awkward front fascia design that almost all the newly-launched and updated versions of BMW vehicles are getting. The front grille design will be slightly reworked and will look more aggressive than the outgoing one while the headlamp units and the front bumpers will also be redesigned to enhance the sporty and aggressive appearance of the vehicle.

In addition to that, the side profile will also get some new styling cues and those blacked-out aero design running under the side panels aims to make the car more aerodynamically efficient. The rear end will also get an updated design and new LED taillight units. The black cladding under the rear bumper and the twin exhaust tips enhances the sportiness of the vehicle from the rear end as well.

The Audi S3 is one of the best-looking cars in the segment. Audi’s new design with a huge front grille and aggressive front fascia design suits almost all its vehicles and the all-new LED headlamp units do stylishly adorn the grille. The front end wears several sharp styling features while the side profile is comparatively simple. The rear end gets a similarly aggressive appeal as the front and the LED taillights, rear diffusers, and quad-exhaust tips take the sportiness of the car to a whole new level. Mercedes-Benz almost nailed it when it comes to offering a well-balanced design comprising both elegance and aggressiveness. The AMG CLA35 gets the new front grille design from the brand and the wide air-dams integrated into the front bumper with black accent gel in perfectly with the performance-oriented image of the car. The Cadillac CT4-V wears the latest design language from the brand and has little resemblance to other vehicles from the brand itself. The front end gets a unique styling with a sleek and blacked-out grille and a unique LED headlamp design with a long and extended LED running lamp that goes straight into the bumper. The side profile gets some appealing design elements while the rear end with the vertical LED taillight design, resembles the older generation Jaguar XJ sedan. It is also the largest sedan in the segment with a wheelbase six inches longer than the BMW and is at least 100 lbs heavier than all of its rivals. On the other hand, the 2022 M240i Coupe does sport the best ground clearance of 5.1 inches, while the AMG CLA 35 sits almost an inch lower. 

Some exterior features are:

• Aerodynamic body kit
• Moonroof
• Chrome-line exterior trim
• 18” alloy wheels
• LED fog lights
• LED headlights
• Signature kidney-grille with an all-new design

There has been no news on the safety techs onboard the 2022 BMW M240i coupe. The outgoing model does get a strong safety aspect with an overall “Good” rating from the IIHS. Apart from getting a strong build quality, the coupe also offers a handsome list of standard safety techs such as font and rear parking sensors, Forward collision warning, low-speed automatic emergency braking, and Blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert system among other features.

Some of the standout safety features include:

• Impact Sensors with Activation of Battery Safety Terminal
• Coded Driveaway Protection
• Active Driving Assistant
• BMW Assist eCall
• Park Distance Control
• Lane departure warning 

BMW M240i vs Audi S3

One of the prime competitors of the BMW M240i is the Audi S3. The car impresses with its acceleration times despite getting a lower power and torque output than the M240i.

On the practicality front as well, the S3 triumphs over the M240i with its usable rear seats and more driving range owing to its bigger gasoline tank. However, the car falls short in terms of headroom especially for the front passenger and driver when compared to the M240i.

BMW M240i vs Mercedes-Benz AMG CLA35

The AMG treated CLA35 from Merc is a brilliant offering from the rival German brand yet it only betters the M240i in a few areas only. The performance aspect of the AMG CLA35 is a few notches lower than what the M240i offers while its spacious and ultra-modern interior design gets an edge over Beemer’s relatively simple interior design and features. In the fuel economy aspect too, the CLA35 is marginally better than the M240i as well.

BMW M240i vs Cadillac CT4-V

The Cadillac CT4-V is the American brand’s answer to the M240i and other German rivals in the segment. It carries a slightly lower price tag and offers almost the same power and performance levels as the M240i.

On the inside too, the CT4-V is a classy vehicle with a perfect blend of traditional and modern touches in the cabin design. Unfortunately, it falls short in the fuel economy department in front of the M240i only to be saved by the huge 16.6 gallons gas tank. 

With an all-new model around the corner, the BMW M240i is quite an appealing and strong offering in the segment. It offers thrilling performance, a well-appointed cabin, a handsome list of features, and the practicality of a small sedan with generous trunk space. Its rear seats might be unusable for carrying passengers but it can double up as a storage area. Overall, the new and updated M240i is worth the wait.