BMW 230e xDrive
A happy family
BMW 230e xDrive
© press-inform – the press office
For a long time it was a question of whether the 2 Series Active Tourer from BMW would even have a future or whether it would be replaced by the X1 crossover. But the Bavarians are only removing the big brother, making the second generation smarter and on it goes.
The reason why the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, which in its first generation was neither beautiful nor suited to the Bavarian brand image, remained in the range is simpler than ever. Since its market launch in 2014, the company has sold almost half a million 2 Series Active Tourers, attracting new customers in particular who had never bought a BMW before. The second generation of the sporty MPV is a step forward in terms of technology, ease of use and motorization, particularly thanks to the improved plug-in hybrid, which can now cover up to 90 km in zero-emission mode.
The Active Tourer is visually recognizable, but has clearly won. It looks much smarter and better proportioned than the previous model, although the dimensions have only changed marginally. The height has increased by 2.1 cm, the width by 2.4 cm and the length by 3.2 cm – all with the same wheelbase of 4.39 meters. In the plug-in variant, however, the rear seat, which can be adjusted in length by 13 centimetres, is omitted due to the battery and system technology. Headroom and legroom fit, with the trunk volume also being influenced by the additional battery technology: from 470 liters in the 218d and 415 liters in the 220i / 223i, the volume in the plug-in versions 225e and 230e drops to 406 liters. The trunk of the 2 Series Active Tourer is easy to load behind the electric flap, as the edge is only 67 centimeters from the floor.
Between the two front seats there is a voluminous console with a floating design, which houses the new selector lever and other switches for changing driving modes and changing the volume. Beneath this console is ample storage space, lined with non-slip rubber in contrast to the door pockets, and directly in front of this is another area where the mobile phone will find its safe place. The well-contoured seats are comfortable and can be adjusted in many ways; heating, electrical adjustment and various massage programs are available on request. The backrests of the rear seats can be folded in the ratio 40:20:40. Similar to the BMW i4, the driver looks at two screens with diagonals of 10.25 and 10.7 inches, both of which are controlled by the new operating system. An advantage of BMW’s OS 8 is that the navigation system uses a cloud-hosted map system and that it is able to receive updates remotely (OTA – over the air) and also offers an augmented reality function, in which the main screen overlays images captured by the front camera with virtual displays. Bitter: the head-up display projects its information on a vertical polycarbonate pane, which is not up-to-date and anything but premium.
For the new generation Active Tourer, BMW is offering for the first time two plug-in hybrid versions, the 225e (total output: 245 hp) and the 230e (326 hp), both with the modular Gen 5 PHEV system and a equipped with all-wheel drive. The energy capacity of the battery installed in the underbody has almost doubled to 14.2 kWh net compared to the previous 2 Series Active Tourer, enabling a WLTP range of up to 90 km and a total range of both drives of 605 km. The rated electrical power increased from 70 kW / 95 hp to 90 kW / 122 hp and to 130 kW / 176 hp in a short boost. At the same time, the capacity of the on-board charger doubled to 7.4 kW, meaning a battery can be charged to 100 percent in two and a half hours.
The BMW 230e shares the same chassis settings and handling impact as the other engine variants, however it lacks the ability to lower its suspension by 15mm due to the battery being placed under the vehicle floor. The family van drives very stably, can be easily adjusted to the corner entry, has direct and precise steering, which does not allow any large arm movements during long, tight changes of direction. Renz, head of development of the 2 Series Active Tourer: “The new chassis has a new selective damping that produces soft damping at high frequencies while at the same time reacting stably to low frequencies when the damper has to be stiff. It is a purely mechanical valve system in the shock absorber, both front and rear: at high frequencies the oil is bypassed and provides a softer damper response, at low frequencies the valve closes for a harder response”. Meaning it’s variable, but there’s no driver intervention, there’s no button, it all depends on how the road triggers the mechanical system.
The all-wheel-drive BMW 230e xDrive weighs 220 kg more than the 223i xDrive with an identical petrol engine, 160 kg of which is due to the battery in the underbody and the remaining 60 kg due to other components. Given the performance advantage of the PHEV (326 vs. 218 hp and 477 vs. 360 Nm), it is not surprising that the 230e presents itself as the significantly more dynamic vehicle. The new, simplified driving modes Personal, Efficient and Sport influence the responsiveness of the powertrain as well as the steering and driver assistance systems. According to BMW, the increased range is enough to drive from Munich to the Alps to go skiing and return to the Bavarian capital after a 2.5-hour drive with a full battery. I started with a total range of 630 km (72 of which was electric) and after just over an hour the 48.5 km loop was over. Without motorways and with many country roads at higher altitudes, the average consumption was 3.7 liters / 100 km or 12.2 kWh / 100 km. Three times as high as the provisional WLTP consumption; but the remaining average indicated 37km, matching the advertised up to 90km zero-emission range.
The prices for the two hybrid models have not yet been determined because they will not be launched until summer. The 136 hp BMW 218i is currently the cheapest way to drive an Active Tourer. With moderate standard equipment, this starts at 35,100 euros. The BMW 230e xDrive will be above the range of the current top model 223i xDrive, which costs at least 43,500 euros with its 160 kW / 218 hp four-cylinder turbo.