BMW 2 Series Active Tourer 2014 Review

Functionality should be a virtue in anyone's language, but it's actually a hurdle for BMW's 2 Series Active Tourer. The 'contra-brand' wagon seats five adults comfortably and is well equipped at a starting price of $44,400 (plus on-road costs). Yet brand traditionalists are left shaking their heads. The first front-wheel drive badged as a BMW is dreaded rather than eagerly anticipated, but have they got it right? How does reality stack up against a long-standing brand ethos?

For the local media launch of the 2 Series Active Tourer – named as such to distinguish it from the rear-wheel drive 2 Series coupe – BMW provided all three of the variants available on sale from next month. Missing from the line-up was the 220i, which will follow early next year (2015).

Straight off the bat, the Active Tourer impressed with its stylish looks, its build quality and its practicality. It is a lot of car for the money, and I write this having just stepped out of a diesel-engined Peugeot 308 Touring that sells for about $6000 less. The packaging of the Peugeot is not a million miles from the BMW, but the Active Tourer's real opposition in the market is the Mercedes-Benz B-Class.

As the entry-level model in the range, the 218i is the car boasting the lowest levels of performance, but there's a better than even chance it will be the volume-selling variant in the range. In our Active Tourer convoy through Tasmania it was the car that needed to be pedalled hardest to keep in touch with the four-cylinder models – including the diesel variants.

BMW says that the 218i's three-cylinder petrol engine develops peak torque from as low as 1250rpm, but peak power occurs much higher in the rev range – at the point where the torque curve is beginning to tail off, in fact. And it felt like that on the road, when being hurried along. Blessed with a six-speed automatic transmission, rather than the eight-speed units of the four-cylinder Active Tourer variants, it was prone to hunt for the right gear and hold higher revs longer. There was also some turbo lag evident while cornering. It was more difficult in the three-cylinder model to pick the right point to apply power, while waiting for the turbo to spool up.

For most owners this will not be any sort of cause for concern. The 218i will find homes in suburbia where full-bore acceleration is rarely called upon and power delivery will be immaterial. But if you enjoy engines working a bit harder and are willing to take the family wagon for an occasional punt, you could certainly do worse than the 218i.

Slightly higher up the ladder is the 218d (diesel), which was really quiet at open-road speeds, and refined even under load. Only tyre noise intruded at the open-road limit, although there was also a subdued rustle from wind passing over the body. While it's only three-tenths of a second faster to 100km/h than the 218i, it feels easier to drive and performance is more readily available on the move.

For those who appreciate performance however, the 225i is the pick of the bunch. There's some torque steer making its presence felt during acceleration, but nothing that will pose any sort of problem. Like the diesel it's a refined engine, but you can hear it – in a good way – with the throttle wide open and the tacho reaching the higher rev range.

All three models steered and handled in a lively way, with responsive turn-in and demonstrable front-end grip the order of the day. Ride was well controlled, which is to say it's not as soft and soggy as most comparable SUVs, but will be comfy enough around town. The suspension absorbed larger bumps with the proper level of composure.

The attractively styled interior looked modern and uncontrived, and the seating position provided a high vantage point for the driver. Comfortable and well shaped, the seats placed even shorter drivers at eye-to-eye level with SUV drivers. Setting up the wheel at a comfortable height while retaining an unobstructed view of the instruments took some patience, I found, but I prefer the seat squab to be closer to upright than many drivers do. Instruments were easy to read and controls were straightforward to operate in the accepted BMW ergonomic paradigm. However, the driver's side mirror wouldn't adjust outboard enough to eliminate blind spots, I found.

The height of the seat base and the relatively large door apertures combine for easy access to the cabin, although taller occupants in the front seats can encroach on rear-seat legroom enough for it to be a squeeze swinging feet in through the rear doors.

But packaging is otherwise the Active Tourer's predominant strength. Despite the presence of (optional) sunroofs in the vehicles tested, headroom in the rear was more than adequate for adults of average height or taller. There's also impressive rear-seat legroom with the seat adjusted back as far as it will go, and the rear seating – in a triple-split folding combination – will slide forward if the need for additional luggage space is greater.

In the luggage compartment, which is no more voluminous than a typical SUV's when legroom is optimised, there's an underfloor compartment for carrying smaller oddments or soaking wet apparel, just like a certain SUV we could name... BMW has been learning from the Japanese also in furnishing finger pulls in the luggage compartment to fold flat (electrically) the rear seats to increase the load space.

What the Active Tourer promises, it delivers. Forget about the whole front-wheel drive business; the mini-people mover corners adroitly and is a pleasure to punt. And that makes for a nice change in a family-friendly smallish wagon with plenty of kit and wearing a prestige badge.

2014 BMW 218i Active Tourer:
Price: $44,800 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 100kW/220Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 5.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: TBA
Safety Rating: TBA

2014 BMW 218d Active Tourer:
Price: $47,800 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 110kW/330Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 4.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: TBA
Safety Rating: TBA

2014 BMW 225i Active Tourer:
Price: $54,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 170kW/350Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: TBA
Safety Rating: TBA