BMW introduced the 228i nameplate in the U.S. with the launch of the all-new 2 Series Coupe for the 2014 model year. It was the entry point to the new compact rear-wheel-drive coupe line, later joined by a convertible, and it replaced the outgoing 1 Series Coupe as BMW’s smallest traditional two-door performance model in the market. The 228i badge identified the core four-cylinder version of the first-generation 2 Series Coupe and Convertible, giving the car a more mainstream role while the M235i served as the performance step-up.
That first 228i run was relatively short. For the 2017 model year, BMW updated the 2 Series Coupe and Convertible and renamed the four-cylinder variants to 230i, ending the original 228i coupe/convertible era. A few years later, BMW revived the 228i designation on a very different body style: the first 2 Series Gran Coupe, introduced for the 2020 model year. In that second period, the nameplate returned as the 228i xDrive Gran Coupe in the U.S., a four-door, front-drive-based compact BMW aimed at buyers wanting a smaller entry model with a more sedan-like format.
Because the 228i badge has been used in more than one distinct production period, it should not be treated as a single uninterrupted model run. Its history is best understood as an early 2 Series coupe/convertible chapter followed by a later revival on the Gran Coupe line. The nameplate remains enthusiast-relevant as the original four-cylinder 2 Series coupe designation and as the entry trim that helped establish BMW’s compact four-door Gran Coupe in the U.S. market.