As well as
getting used to front- wheel drive we’re also going to have to get used to the
transverse engine layout and the 218i will be the first BMW to use the new
three-cylinder power plant that the company has developed. It’s a complex unit
that BMW boasts has an ultra low-friction all-aluminium core and is part of a new modular family of
engines.
It has a
balancer shaft and a dual mass flywheel with a centrifugal pendulum absorber to
counteract vibrations and eliminate irregular running and BMW claims it offers
exceptional refinement even at the lower end of the engine speed range. In its
218i guise it will offer 136hp at 4,500-6,000rpm from its 1,499cc and develop
162lb ft of torque at just 1250rpm. Performance from
the six-speed manual version is pretty decent for a machine that doesn’t really
have huge performance pretensions; 0-62mph takes 9.3 seconds and it has a top
speed of 124mph. The icing on the cake though is the 57.6mpg economy and an
emissions figure of just 115g/km.
The Active Tourer uses a mix of lightweight high tensile steels to
keep weight down
The second
launch model is the 218d which, like the face-lifted X3, features the next
generation of diesel four-cylinder engines, codenamed B47. For the 218d the
familiar 1,995cc displacement is retained with power and torque figures of
150hp and 243lb ft. Performance is slightly more sprightly
than its petrol-engined sibling, with 0-62mph dipping
just under the nine-second barrier, and as you’d expect economy and emissions
are exceptional at 68.9mpg and 109g/km.
Those
wanting more performance from their Active Tourer
will have to wait until the arrival of the 225i that packs a 231hp punch from
its turbocharged four-cylinder endowing it with a 6.0-second 0-62mph sprint
figure but still excellent economy (47.1mpg) and emissions (139g/km).
Inside, there's all
the treat-yourself premium stuff you'd expect
However,
while the performance will be important to some it’s more likely that interior
room and practicality will feature highly on most buyers’ wish lists and BMW
has spent plenty of time making sure that the car comes up to snuff. For
starters, boot space is impressive – 468 litres in
its smallest guise and a whopping 1,510 with the seats folded. The rear seat
folds 40:20:40 as standard and along with rear seats that can be slid forward
and aft independently to either create more legroom or luggage space it’s going
to be a very practical proposition from those wanting a flexible setup. Even
the rake of the rear seat backrest can be adjusted.
The interior
is also light and airy, especially so if the optional panoramic sunroof is
spec’d and those in the front seats are equally as well looked after as those
in the rear. The dash layout follows the current BMW layering layout and
features plenty of items from the BMW parts bin, and owners of the 1 Series and
3 Series will no doubt feel right at home. We don’t have a list of what will
and won’t be standard equipment in the Active Tourer
yet, but with a starting price that BMW quotes as being ‘less than $37,960’ you
can bet that most of the goodies seen in these press images will be on the
options list. One oddity is a head-up display that’s projected on a screen on
the top of the dash pod.
Boot is surprisingly
roomy and 40:20:40 split seats are standard
Despite
that anomaly we reckon the Active Tourer will go down
a storm with buyers who may have not previously thought of buying a BMW. It’s
reasonably attractive (for its type), should offer an excellent driving
experience and will be both practical and frugal. What’s not to like?
