BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe Arriving In 2018 To Combat Merc CLA?

A 2 Series Gran Coupe could be the perfect answer to the Mercedes-Benz CLA, but only if BMW chooses to make it. Seems like they may be closer than we think. 

The German establishment of automotive bigwig manufacturers usually have always had a way of countering each other’s various advances. One such move that, so far at least, has not been met with a swift comeback is Mercedes-Benz and their small sedan, the CLA.
That might be about to change with something that was unveiled at the 2015 Guangzhou Motor Show in China, the Concept Compact Sedan. As interesting as that unveil was and as pretty as the car looked, our excitement was muted somewhat after learning that the choice to present the concept in China was nothing random.
Turns out that, yes, BMW is looking to a smaller four-door sedan that would sit under the 3 Series, but that they are looking to a China-only release for it. That did not make sense, and continues to baffle us.

But, a report from German motoring pundits at AutoBild suggest that BMW is actually building another car that closely parallels the Concept Compact Sedan for sale in markets such as western Europe and North America; and most likely the rest of the world too.
The report, which suggests the name 2 Series Gran Coupe, says the car will be offered to customers as a more spacious, more practical version of the 2 Series coupe, with four doors and a stretched wheelbase.
Given that it is tentatively called the Gran Coupe, that suggests that it will have the sleeker roofline of a coupe at the expense of headroom for adults. Additionally, and unlike the design of the 6 Series Gran Coupe, the 2 Series Gran Coupe could also adopt a hatchback-like rear end similar to the 4 Series Gran Coupe.

It all sounds pretty fine and dandy to us, but where there is some cause for concern is that BMW could elect to only offer the 2 Series GC with 4-cylinder or 3-cylinder engines, at least one of which being a diesel option.
This is likely due to BMW being rightly concerned, at least in these early days, about enroaching to closely to the terrirtory of their 3 Series, making more powerful and more exciting engines a key differentiator between the more affordable 2 Series and more expensive 3 Series.