First impressions are of a dumpy, rounded shape, unmistakably BMW, but that’s as much to do with the grille and badge as it is any inherent BMW-ness. Overall it feels a competent design, but a country mile from the sharp lines of the initial Concept Active Tourer shown two years ago.
The UK range at launch comprises two new turbocharged engines: a 2.0-litre 148bhp diesel (badged 218d) and a three-cylinder 1.5-litre petrol (218i). Both are available with a six-speed manual gearbox or an eight-speed automatic. A four-cylinder 2.0-litre petrol engine and four-wheel drive will follow in the autumn, and eventually there will be a plug-in hybrid model.
The standard specification in the UK includes rear parking sensors, Bluetooth, a DAB radio and BMW’s iDrive infotainment system, while prices start at £22,125 for the 218i SE and £24,205 for the 218d SE.
The Sport derivative adds £1250 to the price and includes contoured seats and sports alloy wheels, while another £2000 over the SE gets you the Luxury model, with leather upholstery. From this autumn there will also be a more aggressively styled M Sport derivative.
The Active Tourer's dashboard looks like a BMW's, but it doesn't feel like one
Step inside and the heart skips a beat when you survey a dashboard design that's very BMW; the faux iPad sticking out of the top, the ostentatious surface changes and those simple twin dials in the driver’s binnacle. Don’t look too far down, though, or you’ll notice slabs of scratchy black plastic, less-than premium construction methods and ‘big time’ cost cuts.
Walk around to the back of the car and there’s a hands-free ‘kick-open’ electric release for the tailgate, which like all these devices has the reliability of a Labrador’s hearing. And once that tailgate is open you find a load area that’s disappointingly conventional for this type of car, with rear seats that slide fore and aft by just over five inches (13cm) and split fold 60/40 - whoopity-doo!
True, the space on offer is comparable with rivals, and the boot floor concertinas into a low wall to prevent your shopping bags sliding about, but this is hardly the plunder packing innovation we see from some non-premium rivals. It’s clear that BMW doesn’t do a lot of thinking about shopping. What does impress, however, is the passenger accommodation. There’s generous head and leg room in the front and rear seats and even the sports seats are comfortable as well as supportive. What’s more there’s a decent amount of storage space, with large door bins and useful cubby holes.
The Active Tourer's boot is big rather than clever
Start her up and the 2.0-litre diesel fizzes through the major controls and sounds raucous, although it calms as it warms. There’s a lot of mid-range torque, which gives it decent apparent performance in any gear, although it runs out of puff and gets a bit clattery near the 5,400rpm redline.
Also, while BMW has done well to assuage the effects of all that torque pulling the steering wheel around under hard acceleration, this powerful diesel will spin up the inside front wheel on tight corners. The diesel will be the first choice for most UK buyers, but the three-cylinder petrol, which wasn’t available to try, might not be such a bad alternative.
The Active Tourer's gearlever slots stiffly through the gate and there’s a poor detent between first and reverse, which means you aren’t always sure which gear you’ve selected at a standstill. There’s also an annoyingly high mounted centre console that catches your elbow as you change gear.
More positively, the Active Tourer feels nicely compact and easy to place in corners, although you really need those parking sensors because it’s impossible to determine where the corners of the car are when sitting behind the wheel. The steering feels quite heavy for urban life, too, and there’s a muddy stiffness in the centre position, so motorways are negotiated in a series of gentle arcs.
The standard SE wheels are 16in in diameter, but our test car came on 18in wheels with 225/45 Pirelli P-Zeros, which were grippy, noisy and gave a ludicrously stiff ride even on Austrian roads surfaced with velvet curtains.
The 18in wheels are best avoided, but the Active Tourer is quite fun to drive
There’s also a restlessness about the rear end, which translated as an unsettled feeling on A roads, like holding a toddler squirming for ice cream. And even over drain covers, the front wheels gave off a loud report and slithered wide on the wet cast iron. That said, it’s a pretty quiet car on the motorway and stability is generally impressive.
BMW is championing the Active Tourer’s sportiness, and on twisting roads it certainly feels up for it; there’s a precision about the handling which makes it quite fun to drive briskly. Turn into a corner and the front hesitates for half a second before diving in, but body control is impressive and the responsive steering gives some feedback.
The Active Tourer isn’t as wieldy or as agile as the Ford C-Max, nor as comfortable and brilliantly appointed as the Citroën C4 Picasso, or as well built and quiet as the VW Golf SV, but it’s close enough to them all and that’s impressive for a first attempt. That all-round ability, along with a modest price premium, low CO² emissions and the promise of strong resale values might persuade the target of 4,000 new customers to try the Active Tourer next year.
How the world will judge BMW’s new direction remains to be seen, but I can’t help thinking they’re about to leave the ultimate driving machine behind them for someone else to pick up.
Why is the switch to front-wheel drive such a big deal?
Most hatchbacks are front-wheel drive, but BMW has traditionally shunned this arrangement in favour of rear-wheel drive.
The main advantage of rear-wheel drive is that it means you don't feel the steering wheel being tugged around in your hands when you accelerate. And as a result you can place the car on the road with greater accuracy. So why the change of heart?
Well, rear-wheel drive also forces you to run a driveshaft down the spine of the car, which eats into boot and passenger space. Plus the switch to front-wheel drive means the Active Tourer can use the same underpinnings as the latest Mini, reducing costs.
THE FACTS
BMW 218d Active Tourer SE
Tested: 1,995cc four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, six-speed manual gearbox (optional eight-speed automatic), front-wheel drive
Price/on sale: From £22,125 (£24,205 as tested)/now
Power/torque: 148bhp @ 4,000rpm/243lb ft @ 1,750rpm
Top speed: 129mph
Acceleration: 0-62mph in 8.9sec
Fuel economy: 58.9mpg/68.9mpg (EU Urban/Combined). On test 48.7mpg
CO2 emissions: 109g/km
VED band: B (£0 for first year, £20 thereafter)
Verdict: Good first attempt at a front-drive BMW that ticks most of the boxes for buyers in this sector while not actually doing anything better than the non-premium alternatives
Telegraph rating: Four out of five stars
THE RIVALS
Citroën C4 Picasso Exclusive 2.0 Blue HDi, from £23,010
Perfectly delightful nexus of ride quality and comfort, with thoughtful additions to the spec that can make ownership a delight. Price is close to the BMW’s, though, and Warranty Direct reliability figures don’t make great reading.
Ford Focus C-Max Titanium 2.0 TDCi, from £21,725
Ford’s five-seat MPV is the most agile and most fun. Its diesel engine isn’t the most accomplished, though, averaging just 57.7mpg and 129g/km of CO2. Warranty Direct says the Ford is a reliable choice.
Volkswagen Golf SV 2.0 TDI SE 2.0, from £23,950
The VW for those who find the Golf a bit too small and the Touran too big. Beautifully built (better than the BMW), comfortable and nice to drive, but bland to look at. The 1.4 TSI petrol is the best model.
Read more reviews on Telegraph Cars
View the original article here
The UK range at launch comprises two new turbocharged engines: a 2.0-litre 148bhp diesel (badged 218d) and a three-cylinder 1.5-litre petrol (218i). Both are available with a six-speed manual gearbox or an eight-speed automatic. A four-cylinder 2.0-litre petrol engine and four-wheel drive will follow in the autumn, and eventually there will be a plug-in hybrid model.
The standard specification in the UK includes rear parking sensors, Bluetooth, a DAB radio and BMW’s iDrive infotainment system, while prices start at £22,125 for the 218i SE and £24,205 for the 218d SE.
The Sport derivative adds £1250 to the price and includes contoured seats and sports alloy wheels, while another £2000 over the SE gets you the Luxury model, with leather upholstery. From this autumn there will also be a more aggressively styled M Sport derivative.
The Active Tourer's dashboard looks like a BMW's, but it doesn't feel like one
Step inside and the heart skips a beat when you survey a dashboard design that's very BMW; the faux iPad sticking out of the top, the ostentatious surface changes and those simple twin dials in the driver’s binnacle. Don’t look too far down, though, or you’ll notice slabs of scratchy black plastic, less-than premium construction methods and ‘big time’ cost cuts.
Walk around to the back of the car and there’s a hands-free ‘kick-open’ electric release for the tailgate, which like all these devices has the reliability of a Labrador’s hearing. And once that tailgate is open you find a load area that’s disappointingly conventional for this type of car, with rear seats that slide fore and aft by just over five inches (13cm) and split fold 60/40 - whoopity-doo!
True, the space on offer is comparable with rivals, and the boot floor concertinas into a low wall to prevent your shopping bags sliding about, but this is hardly the plunder packing innovation we see from some non-premium rivals. It’s clear that BMW doesn’t do a lot of thinking about shopping. What does impress, however, is the passenger accommodation. There’s generous head and leg room in the front and rear seats and even the sports seats are comfortable as well as supportive. What’s more there’s a decent amount of storage space, with large door bins and useful cubby holes.
The Active Tourer's boot is big rather than clever
Start her up and the 2.0-litre diesel fizzes through the major controls and sounds raucous, although it calms as it warms. There’s a lot of mid-range torque, which gives it decent apparent performance in any gear, although it runs out of puff and gets a bit clattery near the 5,400rpm redline.
Also, while BMW has done well to assuage the effects of all that torque pulling the steering wheel around under hard acceleration, this powerful diesel will spin up the inside front wheel on tight corners. The diesel will be the first choice for most UK buyers, but the three-cylinder petrol, which wasn’t available to try, might not be such a bad alternative.
The Active Tourer's gearlever slots stiffly through the gate and there’s a poor detent between first and reverse, which means you aren’t always sure which gear you’ve selected at a standstill. There’s also an annoyingly high mounted centre console that catches your elbow as you change gear.
More positively, the Active Tourer feels nicely compact and easy to place in corners, although you really need those parking sensors because it’s impossible to determine where the corners of the car are when sitting behind the wheel. The steering feels quite heavy for urban life, too, and there’s a muddy stiffness in the centre position, so motorways are negotiated in a series of gentle arcs.
The standard SE wheels are 16in in diameter, but our test car came on 18in wheels with 225/45 Pirelli P-Zeros, which were grippy, noisy and gave a ludicrously stiff ride even on Austrian roads surfaced with velvet curtains.
The 18in wheels are best avoided, but the Active Tourer is quite fun to drive
There’s also a restlessness about the rear end, which translated as an unsettled feeling on A roads, like holding a toddler squirming for ice cream. And even over drain covers, the front wheels gave off a loud report and slithered wide on the wet cast iron. That said, it’s a pretty quiet car on the motorway and stability is generally impressive.
BMW is championing the Active Tourer’s sportiness, and on twisting roads it certainly feels up for it; there’s a precision about the handling which makes it quite fun to drive briskly. Turn into a corner and the front hesitates for half a second before diving in, but body control is impressive and the responsive steering gives some feedback.
The Active Tourer isn’t as wieldy or as agile as the Ford C-Max, nor as comfortable and brilliantly appointed as the Citroën C4 Picasso, or as well built and quiet as the VW Golf SV, but it’s close enough to them all and that’s impressive for a first attempt. That all-round ability, along with a modest price premium, low CO² emissions and the promise of strong resale values might persuade the target of 4,000 new customers to try the Active Tourer next year.
How the world will judge BMW’s new direction remains to be seen, but I can’t help thinking they’re about to leave the ultimate driving machine behind them for someone else to pick up.
Why is the switch to front-wheel drive such a big deal?
Most hatchbacks are front-wheel drive, but BMW has traditionally shunned this arrangement in favour of rear-wheel drive.
The main advantage of rear-wheel drive is that it means you don't feel the steering wheel being tugged around in your hands when you accelerate. And as a result you can place the car on the road with greater accuracy. So why the change of heart?
Well, rear-wheel drive also forces you to run a driveshaft down the spine of the car, which eats into boot and passenger space. Plus the switch to front-wheel drive means the Active Tourer can use the same underpinnings as the latest Mini, reducing costs.
THE FACTS
BMW 218d Active Tourer SE
Tested: 1,995cc four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, six-speed manual gearbox (optional eight-speed automatic), front-wheel drive
Price/on sale: From £22,125 (£24,205 as tested)/now
Power/torque: 148bhp @ 4,000rpm/243lb ft @ 1,750rpm
Top speed: 129mph
Acceleration: 0-62mph in 8.9sec
Fuel economy: 58.9mpg/68.9mpg (EU Urban/Combined). On test 48.7mpg
CO2 emissions: 109g/km
VED band: B (£0 for first year, £20 thereafter)
Verdict: Good first attempt at a front-drive BMW that ticks most of the boxes for buyers in this sector while not actually doing anything better than the non-premium alternatives
Telegraph rating: Four out of five stars
THE RIVALS
Citroën C4 Picasso Exclusive 2.0 Blue HDi, from £23,010
Perfectly delightful nexus of ride quality and comfort, with thoughtful additions to the spec that can make ownership a delight. Price is close to the BMW’s, though, and Warranty Direct reliability figures don’t make great reading.
Ford Focus C-Max Titanium 2.0 TDCi, from £21,725
Ford’s five-seat MPV is the most agile and most fun. Its diesel engine isn’t the most accomplished, though, averaging just 57.7mpg and 129g/km of CO2. Warranty Direct says the Ford is a reliable choice.
Volkswagen Golf SV 2.0 TDI SE 2.0, from £23,950
The VW for those who find the Golf a bit too small and the Touran too big. Beautifully built (better than the BMW), comfortable and nice to drive, but bland to look at. The 1.4 TSI petrol is the best model.
Read more reviews on Telegraph Cars
View the original article here
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