By: Denis Droppa
The first question is: is it a real BMW? The short answer is: yes.
Many purists might throw up their arms in horror at the thought of a BMW-badged Renault Scenic, which is essentially what the 2 Series Active Tourer is.
It’s also front wheel driven, the first car from this German premium manufacturer that isn’t hustled along by either its rear wheels or all four.
If you were to set loose the 2 Series Active Tourer on a skidpan, you may well recoil at the understeery handling characteristics instead of being able to powerslide it like a “real” rear-wheel-drive Beemer.
But Munich’s engineers know how to make a sweet-handling front-wheel-drive car, as evidenced by the Mini, and it is the Mini with which the 2 Series Active Tourer shares a platform.
BMW says the 2 Series Active Tourer is aimed at “active lifestyle” customers who like a higher seating position and functionality, and it’s basically a Renault Scenic infused with a BMW soul.
YES, IT CAN CORNER
So, to answer the question of whether you can thread BMW’s new mommy-MPV through a twisty mountain pass at a white-knuckled pace, the answer’s yes.
The 225i I drove on twisty roads at the Active Tourer’s media launch in the Cape clung vociferously to the tar when pressed hard. There’s no major body roll to betray that you sit a little higher than in the average BMW sedan, although when driven at high speed it doesn’t quite display the riding-on-rails directional stability of some lower-riding Beemers.
But in the way it grips and steers it’s all BMW, especially when equipped with the optional speed-sensitive Servotronic steering, which gives the turning effort that typically meaty feel at higher velocities.
Electronic nannies like Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and Electronic Differential Lock Control (EDLC) ensure largely idiot-proof roadholding without feeling intrusive. Optionally available is M Sport Suspension with firmer springs and lowered ride height, and also Dynamic Damper Control where the driver can stiffen or soften the ride at the press of a button.
PRACTICALITY: THE REAL PURPOSE
Whether the 2 Series Active Tourer’s average customer will give a hoot about the nuances of on-the-limit roadholding is another question. The mommy schlepping her kids to school will probably be more interested in ride comfort and practicality, and on those two counts the car performs well. It needs to if its intention is to steal sales from the Mercedes B-Class.
The front-wheel-drive layout ensures there’s no transmission tunnel running through the middle of the cabin, and opens up a large amount of space in a relatively compact car that’s 4 342mm long. The tall roof makes for a roomy, airy cabin and there’s plenty of rear passenger space – with seats that slide fore and aft depending on how much boot space or legroom is needed.
The large 468 litre boot will happily swallow cricket kits and, when expanded to 1 510 litres with the seats folded down, it will take a mountain bike or two. The tailgate’s electronically operated, and can be opened and closed by sweeping your foot under the rear bumper – very handy when your hands are full of shopping.
There will be a seven-seater Active Tourer available overseas, but only the five-seater will be sold in South Africa.
The high-class cabin trimmings and switchgear are all typically BMW, and all versions come standard with Driving Experience Control which allows drivers to choose between sporty, comfortable or extra fuel-efficient vehicle settings.
FOUR ENGINE CHOICES
The car’s available here in four engine versions: three turbocharged petrols (218i, 220i and 225i) and one turbocharged diesel (220d).
The entry-level Active Tourer 218i is moved along by the same 1.5-litre three-cylinder that powers the Mini Cooper. Its 100kW and 220Nm produce a decent turn of commuting and cruising pace with a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of 9.2 seconds and a 205km/h top speed, and the turbo ensures it will perform much the same at high altitudes.
Next up is the 220i with a four-cylnder 2.0-litre producing 141kW and 280Nm, good for a 7.5 sec 0-100 sprint and 230km/h top speed. The 220 diesel fires a gutsy 400Nm to the front wheels along with 140kW, for performance figures of 7.6 seconds and 227km/h, with the real eye-opener being the claimed 4.5 litres per 100km fuel consumption.
The range-topping 225i I drove is gunned along by a four-cylinder two-litre wielding a lusty 170kW and 350Nm. It’s a lively-feeling car that rushes off the line without any significant torque steer twitching the wheel about in your hands. All is smooth and composed.
Its claimed 6.6 sec 0-100 sprint and 240km/h top speed puts it into hot-hatch territory against the likes of VW’s Golf GTI and the Ford Focus ST.
The 225i only comes with an eight-speed steptronic auto gearbox, while the other three derivatives offer a choice of six-speed manual or automatic (six-speed auto for the baseline 218i and eight speeds for the 220i and 220d).
BMW’s MPV cruises along with the German brand’s typical refinement except that the Bridgestone Potenza runflat tyres roar quite loudly. These runflats, incidentally, are complemented by a space-saver spare wheel in the boot – a solution that BMW has curiously shunned until now.
Star Motoring