By Jens Meiners, BIMMERPOST Correspondent
February 10, 2015
A very senior BMW source told us last year that at some point, 50 per cent of the brand's offerings will stand on a front-wheel drive platform. The 2-series Active Tourer, on sale in Europe for more than half a year now, was just the first strike. Here is number two: The 2-series Gran Tourer, a derivative of the Active Tourer that is taller and longer than the vehicle it's based on. It also comes with third-row seating.
At 179.3 inches long, 70.9 inches wide and 63.3 inches tall, the 2-series Gran Tourer features an incredibly space-efficient layout. The second row can slide forward and backwards, it can be tilted, and it fits three passengers, or up to three child seats; behind it is an optional third row, which will be comfortable only for kids. With the second and third row folded down, the trunk can hold a remarkable 67.3 cubic feet.
The interior is modern, airy, and styled in typical BMW fashion; there is no need to re-learn the vehicle as long as you are familiar with any other current BMW. The somewhat stark and frugal appearance can be enhance with any of the four optional packages - Advantage, Luxury Line, Sport Line, and M Sport.
A lot of effort has gone into making this a true family car. Rolled out in Germany first, the Gran Tourer will be available with a tailor-made myKIDIO entertainment system. It includes a display with information such as speed, outside temperature, and estimated arrival time, hopefully quelling your kid's insatiable thirst for this type of information.
The 2-series Gran Tourer shares its underpinnings both with the Active Tourer and the Mini, as well as the upcoming, second-generation X1. It is designed for BMW's new, modular engine architecture - specifically, its three- and four-cylinder derivatives. Gasoline engine choices comprise the 218i (3-cylinder, 134 horsepower) and the 220i (4-cylinder, 189 horsepower); diesel choices are the 216d (3-cylinder, 114 horsepower), the 218d (4-cylinder, 148 horsepower), and the 220d xDrive (4-cylinder, 187 horsepower). Only the 220d comes with all-wheel drive, which should help handling even though it adds further weight. A six-speed manual is always standard; all engines can be ordered with automatics, offering six speeds on the three-cylinder models and eight speeds on the four-bangers.
The chassis layout and components are largely carried over from the 2-series Active Tourer, which we drove extensively last year [
see review]. Without having spent time on the road in the Gran Tourer, we expect quiet engines, a precise power steering system that veers on the heavy side, and comfortable handling characteristic without the performance edge that we would expect from a rear-wheel drive BMW.
It's hard to make a compact seven-seater look beautiful; perhaps it is impossible. BMW has certainly played it safe with this model, obviously in an attempt to keep shock value to a minimum. The downside is that it looks utterly forgettable, and we wish that BMW's styling center would have taken a few more risks with this new type of vehicle.
A few years ago, a front-wheel drive, seven-seater BMW would have been unthinkable. But the market has changed, and so has brand perception. Next to the expanded SUV lineup and the quirky i3, it makes sense to expand the portfolio downmarket. While BMW currently denies a US-market launch, we expect to see it on these shores within two year's time.