2020 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe to break cover at the 2019 LA show

The front-wheel drive sedan will slot below the 3 Series.

While most automakers are looking ahead to the upcoming 2019 New York auto show, BMW has already announced what it will bring to the 2019 edition of the Los Angeles show. The Munich-based company will expand its sedan line-up with a front-wheel drive model named 2 Series Gran Coupe that will slot below the 3 Series.

BMW released a dark teaser image to preview the model. It shows a fastback-like roof line that earns it the Gran Coupe nameplate, and shapely rear lights with LED inserts. The sheet metal hides an evolution of the front-wheel drive platform that underpins a growing number of models including the Mini Hardtop, the X1, and the family-friendly 2 Series Active Tourer sold overseas. BMW announced the next-generation 1 Series will shift away from its current rear-wheel drive layout to front-wheel drive, and it will be closely related to the upcoming four-door 2.

Technical details remain under wraps for the time being. We can speculate that a four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive will come standard, and xDrive all-wheel drive will be offered at an extra cost. Don't look for a straight-six under the hood; it won't fit transversally. An automatic transmission will come standard regardless of how many wheels the engine turns.

We'll learn more about the 2020 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe over the coming months, and we'll see it in the metal for the first time in November 2019. When it arrives in showrooms, it will compete in the same segment as the Audi A3 and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. Pricing is expected to start slightly above $30,000.

Where this leaves the 2 Series is up in the air. Currently, the model shares its basic architecture with the 1 Series, which is moving to front-wheel drive. We can't imagine a 2 Series without rear-wheel drive. It could use a shortened version of the modular platform found under the latest 3 Series.