I have never thought of the BMW 1-Series as a particularly attractive-looking car, but its close relative, the 2-Series Coupe, is something else again. There's some suggestion of Volvo styling at the front (noticed by a friend) and Audi if you're standing behind the car and a few paces to one side (noticed by me), but no matter: it's a pretty little thing, partly because of its sloping rear roofline and partly because it's 11cm longer.BMW says that there is accordingly more rear legroom, but that's not to say there is very much of it. Luggage space is definitely superior at 390 litres, though inevitably access to it is more difficult in the coupe than in the hatch.Typically for the brand, the interior isn't easy on the eye and includes instruments that don't look very much different from those of BMWs I sat in when I was a child. Another familiar feature is the gearchange, which is clunky and occasionally unpleasant.The level of equipment isn't bad, though. Even this humble SE has automatic climate control, a four-mode Driving Performance Control system, Bluetooth connectivity, BMW emergency call, automatic wipers and a DAB digital radio which I found to be above averagely good at holding on to a signal in hill country.The 220d has a two-litre diesel engine with a maximum power figure of 184bhp and, more importantly, an output of 93bhp when it's turning over at as little as 1750rpm. What this means is that there's plenty of grunt available nearly all the time, and once you're out of town you can pretty much put the car in top gear and leave it there.We've complained in the past about noisy BMW diesels, but while this one can be a bit clattery in the first couple of minutes after a cold start it later becomes very sudued.The official fuel economy figure is 58.9mpg. As you know, statistic of this kind don't always reflect the real-world situation. This one seems much more representative. Averaging 60mpg isn't difficult as long as you're not in a big hurry, and if you can't beat 50 you're doing something badly wrong. (If you invest a further £1550 in a 220d with eight-speed automatic transmission, the official economy improves to 64.2mpg, and the problem of the awkward shift quality goes away.)While the engine itself is very good, the rest of the car doesn't seem prepared for it. There are signs that the 220d should be able to handle as well as any other moderately powerful BMW with ordinary suspension (which is to say very well indeed), but that the extra weight under the bonnet has killed any chance of this happening.The car will flow beautifully through a series of fast bends, but when asked to tackle something a bit tighter there's a sense that it's struggling to heave the diesel unit across the apex. Even in town, negotiating a junction feels like more of an effort than it should.This is a shame, because otherwise the 220d SE is a fine car, and it's only a few weeks' worth of suspension development away from being a great one. Engine 1995cc, 4 cylinders Power 184bhp Transmission 6-speed manual Fuel/CO2 58.9mpg / 125g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 7.2 seconds Top speed 143mph Price £25,865 Details correct at publication date
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