BMW’s first compact MPV, the ponderously
named 2 Series Active Tourer, is also its first front-wheel drive model.
That’ll upset the BMW die-hards, but for the majority of drivers it’ll matter
not one jot. What will to them, and all rival manufacturers, is that the family
car market just got a premium player, and it’s playing to win. The ripples of
disbelief amongst enthusiasts that BMW could do something as sacrilegious as
have its blue-and-white roundel badge on the front of something that drives the
front wheels are obvious, but the public largely won’t care. Thing is, if the
Active Tourer were to wear something other than a BMW badge, then they’d be
proclaiming it as the finest driving compact MPV around. Which, in truth, it
is.
The
2-series Active Tourer looks clean and professional from the outside
Those front driven wheels do little to
corrupt the steering, which is decently weighted and accurate enough. The
suspension, even on larger alloy wheel choices, makes a good attempt at
isolating the occupants from the worst surfaces on the road, though it’s the
stability and relative lack of roll in bends that impresses. It’s not sporty,
but neither is it so crushingly dull to drive as the majority of its rivals,
meaning the school run needn’t be a total enjoyment bypass. The gearshift is
slick too and the new 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine's refinement is superb,
not just in terms of noise, but also vibration suppression. It’s plenty
powerful and smooth too, making it arguably the best four-cylinder diesel you
can currently buy.
Step
inside and the spacious, high quality interior of the 2 Series Active Tourer
still impresses
Forty, twenty, forty makes up the rear
seating, which slides and folds. Useful, but not quite as versatile as more
obviously MPV rivals in the class. There’s not masses of cubbyhole stowage
either, but you’ll forgive it a lot given the quality of the trim and the
comfort of the seats. The dash layout is all familiar BMW, which means it's
easy to use, many layered and expensively surfaced throughout and the options
list includes useful add-ons like iPad holders for the back seats and a
cleverly mounted bike rack, which folds up neatly into the compartment under
the boot floor. The boot itself is competitive, rather than class leading, in
shape and capacity, the 468 litres it holds plenty for all but the most
ambitious shoppers. Access to it is easy too, not least because all models
feature a powered tailgate, plus the opening is large and the floor is flat.
There's
a 468 litre boot at the rear and a practical 40:20:40 split rear bench
The 218d SE model starts at $40,130, which
means it competes with top-of-the range versions of Citroën’s excellent C4
Picasso with an equivalent output. CO2 emissions of 109g/km cannot quite match
the best, but then the BMW’s pushing out 148bhp; and it's likely that a
sub-100g/km offering will arrive in time, albeit with less performance. What
will work in the BMW’s favour though is its badge, that appeal meaning its
residual values should ace mainstream rivals, offsetting its higher initial
purchase price and putting it on a par, and even bettering, the ostensibly less
expensive alternatives. Equipment is good across the lineup with even the most
basic SE model coming with dual-zone climate control, parking sensors, DAB
digital radio, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity, USB sockets and a whole lot
more equipment to boot.
