BMW M240I vs Volkswagen Golf

What's the difference?

If there ever was a modern BMW that captured the essence of the classic 1602-2002 and pre-Bangle-era 3 Series, it's the 2 Series coupe.

From the lowly 118d diesel to the sublime M2, this model line is the reincarnation of everything that the old 'The Ultimate Driving Machine' company tagline stood for.

Now there's a third-generation 2 Series (if you also count the crisp E82 1 Series of 2007), and right now the M240i is giving off the sort of exciting vibes you might have felt as a teenager looking at a bedroom poster of a 2002ti or 323i.

Does the G42 2 Series deserve to sit alongside such esteemed ancestry? Let's take a deep dive into this most intriguing of BMWs to find out.

Eight generations over more than half a century qualifies the Volkswagen Golf as an automotive icon, standing on the shoulders of its original beetle-shaped ancestor.

It remains one of the world’s favourite cars and this 110TSI Life version is the entry-point to the local model line-up, the latest ‘8.5’ version of which arrived here just over 12 months ago.

It sits in a hotly contested small-car category, appealing to those with a preference for a conventional hatch and pure internal-combustion power.

In an automotive world now dominated by increasingly electrified SUVs, we spent a week behind the wheel to see how it shapes up as an urban specialist with occasional open road ability.