Charleen Clarke gets behind the wheel of the front-wheel drive BMW 2-Series Active Tourer at its international launch in Europe. Could this be the mostsignificant launch by the company?

BMW’s somewhat tumultuous 98-year history has been punctuated by a plethora of momentous model launches. For me, the most significant must be the little Isetta. After all, this odd child of the 1950s – described as ‘looking like the result of a high speed collision between a refrigerator, a scooter, and an ovulating chicken’ – was almost certainly the company’s saviour. The Isetta also marked a diametric change in the company’s thinking – it had previously been focusing on large cars.

Now, with the launch of the 2 Series Active Tourer, BMW is once again wandering down a new path. Because, for the first time, it’s opted for front-wheel drive. That’s likea Bavarian putting ice in his beloved beer!

Logic prevails

In typically non-emotional, German thinking, the powers that be at BMW have explained that the choice of front-wheel drive was driven by logic: the new front-wheel drive architecture – with a transversely-installed engine – allows maximum usage of the interior volume in a relatively small vehicle. They’re not quite as keen to give details of the heated, behind-the-scenes discussions that preceded the launch. “There was huge debate; front-wheel drive was a cultural clash for our company. This was an iconic change,” one BMW employee whispered to Cars.co.za.

However, eventually, that German logic prevailed. And the 2 Series Active Tourer was born … But does it actually work? And does it drive like a typical (rear-wheel drive) BMW?

The answers to those questions are yes and no respectively. Of course it doesn’t feel like a rear-wheel drive BMW. We put the car to the test over two days in Sölden, Austria, and it obviously feels quite different – push it hard around corners and there’s some understeer; floor the accelerator and – contrary to the claims of the engineers – there’s a miniscule bit of torque steer on the diesel. But will the customers care? I honestly don’t think so …

In fact, I believe that some customers won’t even notice the difference in the vehicle’s driving characteristics (versus typical BMWs) – especially considering that many of the customers will be women and newcomers to the BMW family. Those customers will focus on other features of the 2 Series Active Tourer – its safety, versatility and high seating position, for instance.

Cavernous interior

And there is little doubt that it’s a top performer in both of these departments. While it may not be a purist BMW (with the beloved rear-wheel drive such as an M235i), the 2 Series Active Tourer is a true BMW in all other respects. The build quality is simply impeccable, the interior finish is utterly delightful and it comes with a barrage of safety features.

That much goes without saying. However it also comes with more space, which is one of the vehicle’s most impressive features. The interior is utterly cavernous (both up front and at the rear) and the boot is impressive too. It swallows anything from 468 to 1 510 litres, and the rear seat slides too (so the legroom and load compartment capacity can be increased or decreased as required). We needed to use this feature; we had three suitcases (one small, one medium, one large) and it was utterly impossible to squeeze all three into the boot.

I also liked the foldable boot floor, which conceals a storage compartment with a handy multifunction tray, and the tailgate (which can be opened by swiping your foot underneath the rear of the car a la Ford Kuga).

The three transversely mounted engines – including a ground-breaking three cylinder – are über impressive. We got a chance to drive the two-litre diesel and the 225i, and they are both willing, smooth, quiet and exceptionally capable. I especially enjoyed the former, which churns out 110 kW while mustering peak torque of 330 Nm. The latter is ever so refined and, with an output of 170 kW, it takes a mere 6.6 seconds for the 0 to 100 km/h dash. I wished that we were on the German highways, so we could experience its top speed of 240 km/h.

Three-cylinder engine debuts

Sadly, we didn’t get a chance to experience the new three-cylinder petrol unit which does duty in the new Mini Cooper. On paper it sounds impressive – the engine has a displacement of 1.5 litres, generates 100 kW and “excels with its spontaneous throttle response, hearty appetite for revs and high pulling power” – or so we were told. It should provide an even smoother ride; the design of three-cylinder engines means they are not subject to first and second-order inertia forces, while the balancer shaft included on the BMW unit ensures that it operates even more smoothly over the entire rev range.

On a slightly negative front, I wasn’t mad about the Tourer’s styling. The front and rear are straight out of the BMW cookie cutter mould – know it, love it. However the overall impression is not the same. It’s looks like a typically conservative MPV, not a sleek and sensual BMW.

Having said that, I shared the horror of two Berlin-based journalists, who were outraged when a German writer noted that “the 2 Series Active Tourer looks just like a van”. A van it’s most certainly not – neither in its looks nor in its ride. In fact, its ride is just superb – it feels like a luxury car and there is hardly any wind or road noise.

BMW 2-Series Active Tourer Estimated Pricing and Arrival in SA

We will get the BMW 2-Series Active Tourer in South Africa in the first quarter of 2015. Four models will be available: the 218i, 220i, 220d and 225i, and pricing is expected to kick off at around R380 000 or so (depending on the fortunes of our ailing currency). Expect the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer to follow in the footsteps of the Isetta; you will be seeing lots and lots of them on our roads. In fact, expect a plethora of front-wheel drive BMWs on our roads in the future … not only the 2 Series Active Tourer.