Built upon the same front-wheel drive UKL Platform found in the new MINI Cooper, the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer had BMW purists crying foul over its decision to build a front-wheel drive model, the first ever in BMW's 96-year history. After all, why make a front-wheel drive model when the rear-wheel drive formula has worked so well?
But why not? Given how close the market share fight is between the luxury manufacturers Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, its little surprise that BMW is opting to broaden its product range beyond the coupes, convertibles, sedans and, more recently, SUVs which customers know and love.
And its latest offering is a family friendly Active Tourer Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV), a practical people mover that's aimed at young families looking for the prestige of a luxury marque with the practicality of a roomier cabin - the same audience courted by Mercedes-Benz's B-Class compact MPV. Exterior
Contrary to its rear-wheel driven cousins in BMW's lineup, and like most MPVs, the Active Tourer won't have you purring over its looks. That said, if looks really mattered, you wouldn't even be considering an MPV.
But why not? Given how close the market share fight is between the luxury manufacturers Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, its little surprise that BMW is opting to broaden its product range beyond the coupes, convertibles, sedans and, more recently, SUVs which customers know and love.
And its latest offering is a family friendly Active Tourer Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV), a practical people mover that's aimed at young families looking for the prestige of a luxury marque with the practicality of a roomier cabin - the same audience courted by Mercedes-Benz's B-Class compact MPV. Exterior
Contrary to its rear-wheel driven cousins in BMW's lineup, and like most MPVs, the Active Tourer won't have you purring over its looks. That said, if looks really mattered, you wouldn't even be considering an MPV.
At the front end, BMW's signature kidney grilles don't have the width to stretch out and end up looking stumpy. Fortunately, the car's got a pair of sharply styled LED head lights that'll draw your focus away from the nose and towards a muscular rear end that bears resemblance to SUVs like the X3.
And at 4,342mm long, 1,800mm wide and 1,555mm tall, the Active Tourer is ideally sized for the city, easing well into the narrow streets and manoeuvring easily within tight multi-storey car park ramps and confined parking spaces.
Interior
For an 'entry-level' BMW, the Active Tourer boasts a clean, well-appointed cabin with plenty of luxuries like electrically-adjustable front seats and BMW's ConnectedDrive services.
Soft-touch materials with contrast stitching line the entire dashboard area and touch points on the side of the doors. In particular for the Luxury trim, which our test car was equipped with, we found the textured fine-wood finish across the dash and doors a very chic touch. LED ambient lights also add a cosy touch to the roomy cabin.
Despite its compact dimensions, the Active Tourer is spacious on the inside with ample space for five and a good amount of head, shoulder and legroom.
Given its proportions, this will be the BMW to fit bulkier items like a small fridge or bigger luggage in its 468-litre boot (extendable to 1,510 litres with rear seats folded down). For added convenience, the Active Tourer even comes with an automatic tailgate.
You will still find hard plastics used in some portions of the interior, but they're so well-blended into the interior, you'll hardly even notice them on the side panels of the B-pillar or under the steering wheel, for example.
Another noticeable quibble is how the thick B-pillars make it a little trickier to get a clear view of your blind spot while cornering.
You will still find hard plastics used in some portions of the interior, but they're so well-blended into the interior, you'll hardly even notice them on the side panels of the B-pillar or under the steering wheel, for example.
Another noticeable quibble is how the thick B-pillars make it a little trickier to get a clear view of your blind spot while cornering.
The Drive
This is the area where the Active Tourer stands out from others in its segment. Again, purists may decry its front-wheel drive, but to the average driver who won't be attempting powerslides, the difference isn't noticeable.
Instead, drivers will notice just how enthusiastic the 1.5-litre turbocharged engine can be. 136bhp and 220Nm of torque may not sound like much, but behind the wheel, the engine feels immensely sprightly, with a healthy dose of growl and a lot of ample pull when you engage the 'Sport' mode.
In a way, there's something for everyone in this car. With the missus riding shotgun, you could ease the car along with a pleasantly cushioned ride insulating against the imperfections on the road. In the event that you get distracted by conversations, the suite of safety features such as the Lane Departure Warning will help keep you in lane.
For more spirited driving, the car will be able to keep up with you. Paired with a six-speed automatic, the Active Tourer makes the century sprint in 9.2 seconds before topping out at 205km/h. These figures may be modest, but on the go, the car feels far quicker than that. Round the corners, the car's responsive steering will take you neatly through corners. There will be body roll, but given the dimensions of the car, it's inevitable.
This is the area where the Active Tourer stands out from others in its segment. Again, purists may decry its front-wheel drive, but to the average driver who won't be attempting powerslides, the difference isn't noticeable.
Instead, drivers will notice just how enthusiastic the 1.5-litre turbocharged engine can be. 136bhp and 220Nm of torque may not sound like much, but behind the wheel, the engine feels immensely sprightly, with a healthy dose of growl and a lot of ample pull when you engage the 'Sport' mode.
In a way, there's something for everyone in this car. With the missus riding shotgun, you could ease the car along with a pleasantly cushioned ride insulating against the imperfections on the road. In the event that you get distracted by conversations, the suite of safety features such as the Lane Departure Warning will help keep you in lane.
For more spirited driving, the car will be able to keep up with you. Paired with a six-speed automatic, the Active Tourer makes the century sprint in 9.2 seconds before topping out at 205km/h. These figures may be modest, but on the go, the car feels far quicker than that. Round the corners, the car's responsive steering will take you neatly through corners. There will be body roll, but given the dimensions of the car, it's inevitable.
But we do have some minor gripes. On our test drive, we found the car to be at its refined best in the mid-range as some vibrations could be felt at lower speeds.
The engine's fuel-saving automatic start-stop function also didn't feel as refined as the other BMWs, coming on with a noticeable shudder when it was time to move off. Plus, the downside of the car's eagerness to rev will mean that it will take a lot of discipline to achieve the 19.2km/L published fuel return.
Conclusion
Nit-picking aside, the Active Tourer proves to be a surprisingly refined package for a car positioned to be 'entry-level'. With its eager engine that can straddle between dynamic and efficiently comfortable driving, and a level of trim that's luxurious, the Active Tourer has set the benchmark for what we can expect from the next generation of BMW models.
Plus, if one were to factor in the host of convenient features like park assist, it becomes apparent that BMW has gone a little out of its way to spoil its customers. When it comes down to getting the most bang for your buck, we are very grateful for that.
The engine's fuel-saving automatic start-stop function also didn't feel as refined as the other BMWs, coming on with a noticeable shudder when it was time to move off. Plus, the downside of the car's eagerness to rev will mean that it will take a lot of discipline to achieve the 19.2km/L published fuel return.
Conclusion
Nit-picking aside, the Active Tourer proves to be a surprisingly refined package for a car positioned to be 'entry-level'. With its eager engine that can straddle between dynamic and efficiently comfortable driving, and a level of trim that's luxurious, the Active Tourer has set the benchmark for what we can expect from the next generation of BMW models.
Plus, if one were to factor in the host of convenient features like park assist, it becomes apparent that BMW has gone a little out of its way to spoil its customers. When it comes down to getting the most bang for your buck, we are very grateful for that.
