BMW 2 Series Active Tourer previewed
Practical, comfortable and sensible MPVs may not be the type of things you associate with BMW. However, the new BMW 2 Series Tourer may be about to change all of that.
We have taken the opportunity to get up close and personal with the 2 Series Active Tourer which made its global debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. Heres what we know about it so far.
With all the seats in place the 2 Series Active Tourer has got a decent sized boot. However, there is more to it than that. There are various cubbyholes and hooks placed along the sides and you get a very decent amount of under floor storage. Ok, it would have been nice to be able to set the floor at different levels, however if you drop the seats then you get more space than you do in the BMW 3 Series estate which is quite something.
Normally the back seats of a small BMW, like the 1 Series, is not a brilliant place to be but thats certainly not the case here. Youll easily fit an adult of 6ft and still get a fantastic amount of head room, elbow room (thanks to the curved door panels) and finally a brilliant amount of leg room. You can slide the seats so that the space goes from “adequate” all the way back to “fantastic”.
Despite all the practicality, which continues up in the cabin with cubbyholes all around you, BMW hasnt forgotten all the “posh” elements. Even the basic SE version gets a nice metallic finish, but other trims, like the “Sport” and the “Luxury” get things like leather and chrome finishes around the dash. In general the cabin feels as good as the rest of the range. There will also be an “M Sport” version which will include things like lowered suspension and sports seats in the front.
At time of writing, there are only two engines available in the 2 Series Active Tourer. These engines are the 218i petrol and the 218d diesel. However, dont expect these to be the only engines available. There will definitely be one that should take the emissions below 100g/km of CO2 in the form of a 216d and a 220d.
Apart from the looks and the practicality the 2 Series Active Tourer represents a massive change for BMW in one other crucial way. This being that the engine sends the power to the front wheels rather than that rear wheels - like pretty much every other BMW. There will also be a four-wheel drive version.
Pricing will start from around £23,000 and rise to around £30,000. That fits in nicely into the VW Golf SV bracket but slightly more expensive than the likes of the Citroen C4 Picasso – so you do end up paying for the “poshness”.
