A BMW for all seasons & all the right reasons

Who says a family car can’t have sex appeal? But wait, what exactly is the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, except for being a direct rival to Merc’s B-Class? Well, technically, it’s a people mover: It’s built for moving about your family, the dog, the bikes, and whatever tickles your fancy. It’s not meant to go off-road, but you can still get that high-riding SUV feeling due to a slightly elevated driving position. All in all, it’s tall hatchback and a soccer mom’s designer taxi in which Dad will also feel at ease. So what does it have to offer?

I had the pleasure of driving the 2 Series Active Tourer 220i (Auto) in and around the Overberg region in the Western Cape, for a week. Even though it’s no sexy “Sports Activity Coupé” such as the BMW X4, it’s still attractive, in a practical kind of way. Then you open the doors and you step inside…and it’s cozier than a modern-day gingerbread house. Our test model had beautiful “Canberra beige” perforated leather seats, (R 8 400) that contribute to making the cabin feel stylish and homely. The chunky, leather steering wheel feels wickedly good in your palms, and once you press the start button to switch the engine on, you already feel that all is well in the world. If you’re going to spend all that money on a premium German brand, this is why. Standard equipment includes the Radio Professional system with Bluetooth, the BMW iDrive control system with its controller on the centre console, and the 6.5 inch screen of the Control Display in the middle. You can also write on the surface of this controller with your finger when you use the optional Satnav or browse the internet as part of BMW’s optional Connected Drive. It’s a little challenging as a right-handed person, but I’m sure the lefties won’t have any trouble.

The Active Tourer, which shares the UKL1 platform with the new Mini, is BMW’s first front-wheel drive offering. Performance is spirited, with a healthy 141 kW and 280 Nm from its turbocharged 2.0 litre petrol engine. This is mated to BMW’s razor sharp 8-speed Steptronic transmission, which is smoother than the surface of a river pebble. The steering feels direct and is nicely weighted, but tends to feel a little light through long bends and under hard acceleration – and that’s where you can tell that it’s no typical rear-wheel driven Beemer. However, the Active Tourer 220i is remarkably dynamic for its shape, has hardly any body roll and grips the road through corners with gusto.

But since the Active Tourer is somewhat more bothered with space and practicality than sports-car like handling, they’ve put that space to excellent use. There is head and legroom for miles, with a large electrical tailgated boot. Every part of the Tourer has been utilized to fulfill the modern family’s needs and wants. The only thing my kids missed, were the little aeroplane trays against the front seat backs, found in the less pricey new Golf SV and Citroën C4 Picasso.

Safety will be paramount for the person (or parent) who buys an Active Tourer, so specifications like automatic headlight activation, an Intelligent Emergency Call system, Park Distance Control at the rear, front fog lamps, cruise control with braking function and a multifunction steering wheel are all standard. Our test car had additional safety equipment like the ultra-comprehensive Driving Assist Plus package (R19 400), which includes Active cruise control with a Stop & Go function. Among other things, it allows you to sit back and relax while the car moves forward and stops all on its own, if you’re stuck in a traffic jam. It also warns you if you’re about to leave your lane with subtle vibrations through the steering wheel – maybe a little too subtle, if you ask me.

I don’t have the best night vision, so the brilliant Extended Light Package (R 2 650) is one option I would surely tick if I ever bought one. Driving to the airport before sunrise proved to be stress-free and I could even drive at the national speed limit. It also has active cornering headlights, which illuminate the direction in which you turn. Above and beyond safety spec ‘norm’, such as ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, the Active Tourer also has stability and traction control, head airbags in the front and rear, side airbags for the front passengers and curtain airbags to protect occupants in the back.
BMW have done remarkably well with this new family-mobile, and if you can practice some restraint as you tick the optional boxes, you may just get away with just a smidgen more than the base price of R 419 900 (for the Automatic).

Base Price	:  R 401 000 (Manual) R 419 900 (Auto)
Price as tested (with optional extras)	: R 606 383, 80
Engine	: four-cylinder, 2.0 litre turbo petrol
Power	: 141 kW at 4700 rpm
Torque	: 280 Nm at 1250 rpm
Top speed	: 230 km/h
0 to 100 km/h	: 7.4 sec.
Fuel tank	:  51 litres
Realistic fuel consumption	: About 8 litres per100 km’s (combined)
Boot size	:  468 – 1510 litres
Ground clearance	: 165 mm
Warranty	: 2 years / unlimited km’s, 5 year / 100 000 Motorplan Maintenance
Contract with BMW On Call
Also consider: Mercedes-Benz B-Class, VW Golf SV

 

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