BMW plug-in impresses

Until now, the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer hasn’t been John Oxley’s favourite Beemer. But he’s changed his ideas a bit...

The BMW 2 Series Active Tourer is, for me, a bit of a mix-up. First up, it’s not the bestlooking BMW, and second, well, until now it’s been a front-wheel drive Bmw-badged Mini four-door with a BMW body and a total lack of identity! However, after sampling the plug-in hybrid version, the 225xe, my mind has changed – a lot. Looked at holistically, it’s not a lot more expensive than the 218d turbo-diesel Active Tourer, at $68,500, which puts it, pricewise, within reach of the top-selling PHEV, the Mitsubishi Outlander, which tips the bank balance at $59,990 – but with less kit. At the same time the Mitsubishi’s ride, handling and overall quality is way down on the Beemer’s – not to mention performance, where the 22xe just drills it! So what does that mean? Well, on the road the 225xe behaves just like a big sports hatch, with Golf Gti-like acceleration, great grip out of corners, and fabulous handling thanks to its electronically adjusted drive system Performance Control, which puts power to the wheels that need it. Or, if you want to just warble along in electric drive only, with relatively slow acceleration, you can do that too, wafting along with not much more noise than the breeze for up to 41km. This means most people would be able to perform their daily commute without having to start the main engine at all. And the cost? On my plan, about 14c a km. The car can be recharged in about three and a half hours on a household plug, or two hours 15 mins on a fast charger. If you go on longer runs, you only get that benefit until the traction batteries run out, although they do recharge as you brake or decelerate hard. Using the petrol engine alone, you can expect about 6L/100km, which isn’t bad at all. Oh, and that equates to around $112c/km… Is it complicated? Not really. You can choose from various modes which include full electric or just leave it in Autoedrive and let the car do the thinking for you. Charging is equally easy – just plug the charger cable into the socket on the side of the car and a wall socket. However, it’s best to use a plug that’s not got a lot of other stuff on the circuit, or you might end up tripping a breaker or fuse. Earlier we mentioned the car’s kit, and it’s pretty impressive. First up, the 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo engine is linked to a smooth-shifting auto ‘box, and there’s auto stop/start, which cuts fuel use if you’re running in petrol mode. There’s driver experience control, which allows you to choose how the car drives, from economy right through to sporty. Driver aid features include rain-sensing wipers, LED headlights, fog lights, rear camera with front and rear parking sensors, active cruise control, parking assistant which finds a suitable parking place then helps you park it (you just operate the gearshift, throttle and brakes), leatherette upholstery, heated front seats, and a multi-function leather-rimmed sports steering wheel. In addition there’s full Bluetooth telephony and streaming, including a facility to snap in a compatible cell phone which then auto charges and uses the car’s external aerial for better reception, satnav with a 6.5-inch display, and a media centre which includes a CD player as well as a radio. Summing up, an exceptional solution if you want to cut your commuting costs, and at the same time contribute to cutting pollution, yet retaining the ability to be an entertaining drive when you get outside the city limits. It’s as spacious as a medium SUV, but a lot more comfortable, and passengers don’t get thrown around nearly as much as they do in a taller vehicle.