The new BMW 2 Series: the family classic remains a minivan

Crossovers and SUVs may have taken Europe and most of the world by storm, but that hasn't stopped Mercedes from introducing the second generation of the B-Class. Tui BMW believes there's still enough customer demand to justify the second generation of the luxury MPV, which is the new 2 Series Active Tourer with significant design changes.

The compact luxury MPV features a huge kidney grille that evokes strong memories of the front end of the X7. The kidneys are surrounded by more elegant LED headlights, which are optionally available with adaptive matrix technology. The profile reveals newly designed door handles and side mirrors, and wheel sizes range from 16 to 19 inches. At the rear, an exhaust tip is integrated under the bumper for a cleaner look, while the taillights are now slimmer, following the 3 Series model.

Compared to its predecessor, the second-generation model is 32 millimeters longer (at 4,386 mm) and 24 mm wider (at 1,824 mm), while the wheelbase remains unchanged at 2,670 mm. It is 1576mm tall and has 25mm front and rear track (1586mm front / 1586mm rear). The drag coefficient to 0.26 is considerably reduced-

The interior has been completely redesigned to introduce the iDrive 8 operating system, now with a 10.25-inch digital driver display and a 10.7-inch infotainment touchscreen. The elongated center armrest includes start/stop and hazard buttons, along with a tiny automatic gear lever, an electronic parking brake and a rotary volume control. The "floating" console has freed up space below that can be used for storage.

Since it is a minivan, practicality is at the fore. The rear seats move up to 13 centimeters forward and can be folded in a 40:20:40 arrangement, and the cargo volume varies from 470 to 1,455 liters. An electric tailgate is part of the standard equipment, as is a dual-zone automatic climate control system. Customers can opt for a panoramic glass roof, a Harman Kardon audio system and an inverter for connecting to electricity for an additional fee.

As for engines, the lineup starts with the 218i model with a 1.5-liter turbocharged unit that produces 136 horsepower (100 kilowatts) and 230 newton meters of torque. This is a good acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in nine seconds and a maximum speed of 214 km / h. The model higher with the designation 220i with 170 hp (125 kW) and 280 Nm, in this case the mark of 100 km / h falls at 8.1 seconds, and the top speed increases to just under 221 km / h.

The four-cylinder 223i model uses a larger 2.0-liter unit with 218 hp (160 kW) and 360 Nm, which allows the 2 Series Active Tourer to reach 100 km / h in 7 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 241 km / h.

BMW has not forgotten about diesel units, as there is also a 218d with a 4-cylinder 2.0-liter mill that produces 150 hp (110 kW) and 360 Nm. This Leipzig-built premium minivan takes 8.8 seconds to reach 100 km/h and reaches 220 km/h.

All four send power to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and will go on sale in Europe from February 2022. A few months later, the 2 Series Active Tourer range will be expanded to include two plug-in hybrid models, one of which is the 230e. also with xDrive and a sportier style.

And the prices? The BMW 2 Series will still be the most affordable BMW in the range.