All-new 2022 BMW 2 Series Active Tourer U06 announced
BMW has revealed its new generation of 2 Series Active Tourer U06, the brand’s five-seat MPV rival to the Mercedes-Benz B-Class W247. The model gets a bold new look, different powertrains and is one of the first model’s to get BMW’s latest infotainment setup. Customers can order the car now, with the first UK deliveries expected from March 2022. Diesel prices start from £31,830 for the BMW 218d Sport U06, the Luxury costs £33,650 and the M Sport is priced at £35,505.
Underneath, the 2 Series Active Tourer is based on the same front-wheel drive underpinnings as the BMW X1, MINI Countryman and 2 Series Gran Coupé. The most obvious exterior difference is a move towards BMW’s oversized kidney grille design, which is now home to an array of sensors for its advanced safety features. Everything else has also changed, from the headlights and rear lights to its smoother surfacing and subtly different proportions. The Active Tourer is now 32mm longer, as well as 24mm wider and 21mm taller. While in the previous generation there were both Active Tourer and Gran Tourer editions, this time around BMW is ditching the seven-seat option.
Potential buyers will find the interior changes even more significant, because this is one of the first BMW cars to gain technology that debuted in the all-electric iX SUV. A single curved structure holds a 10.25-inch instrument panel and 10.7- inch infotainment screen, running BMW’s Operating System 8 software. It’s said to provide a ‘smartphone-style’ appearance, with customisable widgets. Even the climate control is now taken care of by the system, with the temperature control displayed permanently.
Sport models feature 17-inch alloy wheels, sports cloth seats, LED headlights, a reversing camera and parking sensors fitted as standard. Luxury adds aluminium exterior trim, leather upholstery and heated front seats, while M Sport brings 18-inch alloys, Adaptive suspension, power folding door mirrors, adaptive headlights, an upgraded instrument panel and wireless smartphone charging.
Boot capacity for the 218d model is 470 litres behind the rear seats, expanding to 1,455 litres with them folded down. The plug-in hybrid models that arrive later can carry up to 1,370 litres. A powered tailgate is standard, while hands-free opening and closing comes as standard with the M Sport version, or as an optional extra.
Powertrains include the 148bhp, 2.0-litre diesel engine found in the 218d, which gets from 0-62mph in 8.8 seconds. It can return up to 58.9mpg and has CO2 emissions of 125g/km. A new seven-speed Steptronic twin-clutch transmission is fitted as standard, with a wider spread of gear ratios, and the ability to shift gears based on navigation route information.
Next summer, the 2 Series Active Tourer will gain 225e and 230e plug-in hybrid variants, with 242bhp and 323bhp each. These will be able to charge at up to 7.4kW, providing a full battery in 2.5 hours. BMW is also quoting an EV range of up to 49 miles, which should give excellent efficiency.