Agile, grippy and fun to drive, the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer doesn’t disappoint

By Jack McKeown

October 20 2022, 5:00 pm

The 2 Series Active Tourer is BMW’s first people carrier.

Originally launched back in 2015, it was notable for being BMW’s first people carrier and one of its first cars to have front-wheel drive.

It’s never enjoyed the same success that BMW’s SUVs have – the X1, X3 and X5 are all far more familiar sights on our roads. Nevertheless, BMW has launched a second generation version of the car.

It was with only a moderate level of enthusiasm that I received the keys for a 223 M Sport Active Tourer from the nice BMW delivery man.

My insipid initial impression wasn’t boosted by a walk around the car. BMW’s styling team have done a decent job of disguising the Active Tourer’s tall profile.

I’ll never be able to like BMW’s new grille, though. It looks like someone’s holding a giant magnifying glass in front of the car’s nose.

Things got better once I settled myself behind the wheel. BMW has always done nice interiors but the inside of the 2 Series Active Tourer really is special.

A futuristic-looking screen sweeps across from the centre of the dash all the way to the far side of the steering wheel. It’s a superb piece of design. The only black mark is the intuitive iDrive system has been removed.

Prices for the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer start at a smidge over £30,000. Many car makers have trimmed down their engine range in recent years and only offer one or two options. Not so with BMW.

Agile and grippy on the road

You can have the 2 Series Active Tourer with a choice of one diesel, two petrol and two plug-in hybrid engines. The best of these can do more than 50 miles on battery power, which is very impressive.

The model I spent a week with was the 223i. This pairs a petrol engine with a mild hybrid system and develops a healthy 215bhp. That’s enough for a 0-62mph time of seven seconds and a 150mph top speed. Figures that are entirely un-people-carrier-like.

It’s surprisingly wonderful to drive

The interior had slightly upped my expectations for this car. Still, what came as a huge surprise was just how much fun to drive the 2 Series Active Tourer was. Being front-wheel drive and tall it’s not as dynamic as the amazing BMW 3 Series, of course.

Yet it’s as agile and grippy as a Ford Focus, VW Golf or Peugeot 308, which is no mean feat. And it’s streets ahead of any people carrier I’ve ever driven in terms of handling ability.

Throw it into a bend faster than you should and it grips beautifully, remains perfectly flat, and exits without any fuss.

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Spacious and comfortable

BMW’s eight-speed automatic transmission is one of the best systems in the car industry, flowing seamlessly through the gears. It’s a fun car to drive but also an easy car to cover long distances in.

The suspension is firm but manages to be comfortable. The seats are firm but manage to be comfortable. There’s oodles of room up front and even a tall chap like myself has plenty of space.

People up to six feet tall can sit comfortably in the back as well. The good news continues with the boot – at 470 litres it’s one of the biggest in its class.

A special interior and brilliant practicality

Once upon a time BMWs had Spartan levels of standard equipment. Even recently the company has attracted negative headlines for fitting things like heated seats but then trying to charge a premium to activate them. Tsk.

I’m happy to report the 2 Series Active Tourer comes with plenty of gear. Even entry level Sport models have two-zone air conditioning, cruise control, LED headlights and a head up display.

My originally melancholy outlook towards this BMW people carrier proved to be utterly unfounded. While its looks are merely decent, its interior is special and practicality is brilliant. Best of all, it’s surprisingly wonderful to drive.