218i

STORY

The BMW 2 Series Active Tourer holds a landmark place in the company's history: it was BMW's first-ever front-wheel-drive production car. When it arrived in 2014 as the F45, it marked a genuine break with tradition for a brand that had built its identity on rear-wheel drive, driven by the practical demands of the premium compact-MPV segment.

Built on the UKL platform shared with Mini, the Active Tourer is a tall, five-seat people-carrier that prioritises interior space, a high seating position and everyday versatility over dynamic purity. It used transverse three- and four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, and the 225xe plug-in hybrid version added an electric motor on the rear axle to provide all-wheel drive and short electric-only range.

The second-generation U06, launched in 2021, brought a bolder design, a more upmarket cabin with BMW's Curved Display, and updated plug-in hybrid technology. With the seven-seat Gran Tourer discontinued, the Active Tourer became the sole compact MPV in the BMW range, proof that the once-controversial move to front-wheel drive had found a durable place in the line-up.