BMW got lucky before it got good. Back in the early ’80s, the product planners in Munich looked long and hard at building a front-drive replacement for the 3 Series. It seemed like a good idea at the time. While the crisp driving dynamics of BMW’s small sedan were loved by auto writers and driving enthusiasts, its interior lacked the room and load-carrying flexibility of the new generation of front-drive hatchbacks that were taking the world’s compact car market by storm.
In the early ’80s BMW wasn’t the sleek, wealthy, confident automaker it is today. Back then, barely 20 years after the launch of the “Neue Klasse” sedan that saved it from oblivion, the company was building a fifth of the cars it builds today. In an era before the democratization of luxury, before rising incomes and changing consumer attitudes began to drive demand for highly profitable premium brands, the conventional wisdom was that BMW needed to dramatically increase production to ensure its long-term survival. And compact front-drive cars were where the sales were.
The front-drive 3 Series never happened. BMW couldn’t afford to build it. The rear-drive 3 Series, which comprised 60 percent of total BMW sales at the time, shared engines, transmissions, and other components with the 5 Series, 6 Series, and even the 7 Series; switching to a front-drive vehicle architecture would have therefore impacted the cost structure and profitability of BMW’s entire lineup. The 3 Series stayed rear-drive because BMW had no choice. It was the unlikely lucky break that launched the Ultimate Driving Machine concept that underpins the BMW brand today.
Hardcore aficionados may recoil in horror at the idea of a front-drive mini-MPV wearing BMW badges, but it could be argued the 2 Series Active Tourer is the mainstream compact car the company long wanted to build. It’s based on a stretched version of the third-generation Mini platform and powered by a range of transversely mounted, 1.5- to 2.0-liter, three- and four-cylinder gas and diesel engines that drive the front wheels through either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is available as an option.
In simple terms this is BMW’s version of a Ford Focus C-Max. And while the tall roof, high seating position mini-MPV is an oddball, niche format in the U.S., which is one of the reasons BMW backtracked on a plan to launch the car here, it’s hugely popular in Europe, where consumers value roomy, flexible interiors and compact exteriors. Case in point: The 2 Series Active Tourer is 12 inches shorter overall than a 3 Series wagon but has the same cargo capacity and better legroom in the rear. The 40/20/40 split rear seat folds completely flat, and the front passenger seat back folds forward to allow the Active Tourer to swallow items up more than 7 feet long.
Our 218d xDrive “tester” was actually a rental car we picked up at Geneva Airport, and it made an interesting change from the Toyota Corollas we usually get in the States when we tick the box marked compact. The 2.0-liter, 148-hp diesel is the most popular engine in the Active Tourer range, and it was mated to the eight-speed automatic transmission. Snowy winters and mountain roads make all-wheel drive popular among rental car operators in Switzerland, hence the xDrive.
Steel wheels with plastic covers and cloth-covered, manually adjustable seats come as a shock after years of driving loaded U.S.-market BMWs, but the latest generation iDrive, climate control air-conditioning, and cruise control were reassuringly familiar, as was the driving mode selector, which allowed the choice of Sport, Comfort, and Eco-Pro settings for engine, transmission, suspension, and steering.
With 243 lb-ft on tap at from 1,750 rpm to 2,750 rpm, the little diesel delivers punchy launch feel and hums away nicely at freeway speeds, turning just 1,800 rpm at 75 mph. It feels grainy around 1,250 rpm on light throttle openings and can be noisy when worked hard, however. The eight-speed auto is a gem, slick and smooth up and down the ratios, and while you can flick the shifter to the left for full manual control—either via the shifter itself or the steering wheel-mounted paddles—there’s little point, especially if you select Sport mode and let the transmission adroitly surf the torque curve.
Despite a curb weight of 3,395 pounds, all-wheel drive, and a relatively large frontal area, our 218d Active Tourer managed an impressive 49.8 mpg (U.S.) over 400 miles, mostly 70-75 mph cruising on Swiss highways but with some stop-start running in traffic in Geneva, Bern, and Basel. The trip computer consistently predicted a cruising range of almost 750 miles; you’ll need refueling on a road trip before this thing does.
OK, now for the elephant in the room: Does the 2 Series Active Tourer drive like a BMW? Yes. And no. There’s a familiar heft to the steering, a familiar rhythm to the ride, a familiar nuance to the powertrain response. But there’s no mistaking the mass over the front wheels and the higher center of gravity. As mini-MPVs go, the Active Tourer feels pretty buttoned-down: pleasant, predictable, and well-mannered, with decent levels of grip. Underneath it all, though, it’s still basically a tall, front-drive hatchback. It’s not the Ultimate Driving Machine.
So is the 2 Series Active Tourer a betrayal of everything BMW aficionados hold dear? Not really. If the purists want a debate, the lumbering, rough-riding, overweight, and overwrought X5 M and X6 M SUVs are arguably a far more egregious assault on the sanctity of the BMW brand. The BMW 218d Active Tourer is designed to do a specific job at a specific price point with enough BMW flair to attract consumers out of their Fords and Renaults. And it does it pretty well.
| 2016 BMW 218d xDrive Active Tourer | |
| BASE PRICE | N/A |
| VEHICLE LAYOUT | Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door hatchback |
| ENGINE | 2.0L/148-hp/243-lb/ft, DOHC 12-valve I-4 turbodiesel |
| TRANSMISSION | 8-speed auto |
| CURB WEIGHT | 3,400 lb (mfr est) |
| WHEELBASE | 105.1 in |
| LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT | 170.9 x 70.9 x 61.2 in |
| 0-60 MPH | 8.9 sec (est) |
| EPA CITY/HWY/COMB | N/A |
| ENERGY CONSUMPTION | N/A |
| ON SALE IN U.S | No |
The post Forbidden Fruit: 2016 BMW 218d xDrive Active Tourer appeared first on Motor Trend.
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