BMW 2 Series Active Tourer prices revealed

Prices have been announced for the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, a car that was officially revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The petrol 218i and diesel 218d are available to order now and cost £22,150 and £24,205 respectively, with first deliveries set for the end of September 2014.

BMW has designed the 2 Series Active Tourer be one of the most family-friendly models in their range, and it gets a choice of hi-tech engines, first seen in the new MINI, that means most models will be cheap to run.

The German manufacturer has traditionally made rear-wheel drive cars to benefit handling but the 2 Series Active Tourer is the first BMW model to use front-wheel drive. No surprises then that the BMW’s direct rivals, which include the Mercedes B-Class and Volkswagen Golf Plus, come with front-wheel drive too.

For now, the BMW can only be ordered as a five-seater but its interior is extremely practical thanks to rear seats that slide forwards and backwards, and recline. With the rear seats as far forward as they’ll go, the BMW boasts an impressive 468 litres of boot space, which easily beats the 395-litre boot in the Volkswagen Golf Plus. In fact, it's only 20 litres short of the boot in a Mercedes B Class.

Underneath, the BMW is based on the new MINI – a car that is great fun to drive – so we can expect the BMW to be decent fun on a twisting country road.

The BMW gets the new MINI’s 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which is extremely economical while also offering nippy performance. It is available on the basic BMW 2 Series Active Tourer 218i – allowing it to hit 0-62mph in 9.3 seconds and return fuel economy of 57.6mpg. Emissions should be around 105g/km. The 218d, meanwhile, gets a 2.0-litre diesel engine that produces 148bhp and returns 68.9mpg.

A number of models will be added to the line-up in November, including a range-topping 225i, which will have a 228bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine. Although economy figures have yet to be released, it will have BMW’s xDrive four-wheel drive system as standard for extra grip. The other 2 Series Active Tourer models to be added in November will be the 216d, 220i, 220d and 220d xDrive.

Coming from a premium manufacturer, the Active Tourer will get a well-built interio, with soft-touch plastics and classy specification options. Standard spec includes air conditioning, Bluetooth, USB connectivity, a digital radio, keyless engine start, comfort and sport modes for the suspension, a multi-function leather steering wheel and a parking assistance system. Going up a trim level from basic SE to Sport gets you 17-inch alloy wheels, LED ambient lighting, and some sporty styling touches. Luxury models get leather upholstery, a Luxury alloy wheel design and styling enhancements.

The addition of the extra models to the range in November will also coincide with the introduction of a top-of-the-range M Sport trim level. For a £3,000 premium over the basic SE cars, extras will include 18-inch alloy wheels, upgraded exterior and interior styling and M Sport suspension.

The BMW 2 Series Active Tourer is available to order now, with the first models expected to be delivered on 27 September 2014.

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