BMW 2 Series Active Tourer 2015 Review

A front-wheel-drive BMW isn't so much the beginning of the end for the prestige maker as it is the start of a new era.

Purists muttered when the company that built its reputation on rear-wheel-drive cars moved into all-wheel-drive with its SUVs. Those mutterings couldn't be heard over the general public's clamour to buy one - expect the same routine this time.

The global trend to smaller vehicles and the need to expand the customer base means premium car makers have to chase mainstream buyers by pitching more affordable compact cars that families can justify shopping against Asian-built brands.

Enter the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer. The car BMW said it wouldn't build … until the market appetite for compact front-drivers with their efficient use of interior space and smaller, city-friendly exterior dimensions, became a global phenomenon.

BMW has followed rival Mercedes-Benz in launching a high-riding five-seat people-mover as the first model on its FWD platform. Rest assured, it won't be the last.

VALUE 

An entry price of $44,400 puts the BMW about $4500 above its Mercedes direct rival, the B180. That will buy a 1.5-litre turbo three-cylinder petrol engine matched to a six-speed auto.

Equipment on all models includes automatic tailgate, adaptive cruise control, city collision warning with autonomous emergency braking, reversing camera, satnav and lane-departure alert. The Benz misses out on an auto tailgate and adaptive cruise but has auto-parking.

BMW's 218i and 218d will be fitted with the Sports Line styling pack as standard; the 225i will arrive in Australia with the Luxury Line look.

Aspiring BMW owners wanting a diesel will need to look at the $47,800 218i, which uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo claiming just 4.1L/100km. The 225i will head the line-up at $54,900 with a 2.0 turbo petrol four. Both will use an eight-speed auto.

Delve into the options list and there's a head-up display projected on to a screen between the steering wheel and the windscreen and BMW's ConnectedDrive service including app-based real-time traffic updates and a concierge call service using the dedicated mobile phone SIM installed in the car.

DESIGN 

The major issue for BMW was to make the car look and feel premium and it has largely succeeded.
The outside has a kidney grille - a must-have so other school-run mums know what they're missing - and a smart, stylish body. The interior is the highlight. The dash quality and layout are simply superior to most mainstream cars at this price and will be a major selling point.

Anyone who has driven a new Mini knows how well it corners. The 2 Series Active Tourer uses the same platform, though in this case it has been stretched and the ride height raised to maximise interior space for the 'semi-command" seating position SUV buyers love.

TECHNOLOGY

The engines are also based on a common modular design: each cylinder is 500cc. To date BMW has confirmed three, four- and six-cylinder versions, with turbocharging and direct injection. 

SAFETY 

In the absence of NCAP test results, the smart money is on a high five-star rating. Six airbags are standard and it is hard to argue with the safety benefits of adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking.

DRIVING

The Active Tourer is pitched more as an "ultimate family runabout" than BMW's typical "ultimate driving machine" marketing line. That's not to say the car doesn't handle decently, just that it doesn't adhere to the standard sporty rear-wheel drive ethos of applying more power to kick out the tail to counteract understeer.

Try that in an Active Tourer and you'll end up ploughing straight ahead into the scenery. The front-end is planted enough to avoid this at all but stupid speeds. In normal use the Beemer's steering is typically precise and well-weighted.

Beyond the badge, potential Active Tourer buyers - and up to 75 per cent of sales are expected to come from people new to the brand - are interested in the interior and it is here BMW has excelled. The door pockets are properly capacious, the centre console bin is likewise voluminous and there's a storage area under the boot floor. The boot itself is 468L.

The rear seat slides fore and aft to boost knee or luggage space as required and the rear backrests fold 40-20-40 for cargo-carrying flexibility. Peak torque in the 225i kicks in at 1250rpm, giving maximum thrust at just above idle and helping the car to a more-than-respectable 100km/h sprint time of 6.8 seconds.

It lacks the outright entertainment of a rear-drive 2 Series coupe but more than atones for that with its day-to-day versatility.