228

BMW’s 228 nameplate first appeared in the 2 Series Coupe lineup for the 2014 model year, when the 228i launched in the U.S. as the entry point to BMW’s new compact rear-wheel-drive coupe range. It later appeared in the 2 Series Convertible, continuing the same first-generation 2 Series era. After that chapter ended, BMW revived the 228 badge for the 2 Series Gran Coupe, which arrived for the 2020 model year as the 228i xDrive Gran Coupe. That second production period marked a major shift in character: instead of a two-door rear-wheel-drive coupe, the nameplate was attached to a four-door compact Gran Coupe with a front-wheel-drive-based platform and available all-wheel drive. The badge therefore spans two distinct eras in BMW’s modern lineup, separated by a production gap and a change in body style and layout. For WhipPotion purposes, the nameplate should be understood as a recurring BMW sub-2-series designation that moved from the original 2 Series Coupe/Convertible family into the later 2 Series Gran Coupe family.