BMW 225xe Active Tourer rider
The BMW 225e xDrive Active Tourer is a plug-in hybrid MPV and the second of that genre in BMW’s history. To assess whether the car we drive as an endurance tester represents a step forward compared to the previous generation, we invite an owner of the first 225xe Active Tourer to step into our endurance tester.
In the parking lot of the Van der Valk near Zwolle, you certainly don’t have to look long to see what steps have been taken in the field of design. The endurance tester is an exponent of BMW’s new design style, with large kidney grilles dominating the front. You still recognize the shape play in the previous generation 2-series Tourer. But first we ask Maarten van Klaveren from Smilde why he drives the previous generation plug-in hybrid MPV (he keeps track of his car experiences in this review). “I wanted electric, but I live in the north and have family in the west. Most second-hand electric cars were too expensive, too small or had too little range. We were looking for a more spacious car and so I ended up with the BMW 2-series Active Tourer, a nice compromise between partly electric and partly more spacious. In the summer it can travel 28 kilometers electrically on a charge, in the winter around 18 kilometers.”
New plug-in hybrid goes much further electrically
The previous generation of BMW’s first MPV and front-wheel drive does not get as far as our current endurance tester. In the summer we even saw electric ranges of more than 80 kilometers, in the autumn this dropped to 60 kilometers and in the real cold there was still a range of 55 kilometers thanks to the large battery pack of 14.9 kWh net capacity. Values that Maarten can only dream of with his first generation 225e. It contains a 7.7 kWh battery pack, of which only the gross capacity is known. “I always load. While on the way to customers, the car is connected to the charging station. I bought him when he was three years old. I often drive electrically indoors,” says Maarten, who is a job coach for people with disabilities. “I drive about a hundred kilometers in a day. So a car is very important to me.”
It is special that the MPV is still available at BMW
It is quite remarkable that a BMW 2-series Active Tourer still exists. Most brands have lost faith in the MPV, only Mercedes-Benz still offers one in this segment with the B-class. Great for Maarten, who would go for the traditional space concept again after the 2 series. “I continue to like the MPV better, so I prefer the Active Tourer over the X1. I don’t like the look of SUVs.”
We take a tour of the cars to analyze the evolution of the model. “That brown leather is pleasant and beautiful. But this car probably has all the options. I think the rear of the new one is much better than mine, better proportioned. The taillights are slimmer. It’s a pity that you now see the rear window wiper, mine is under the rear spoiler. I think the nose is uglier, those large kidneys make it look like a beaver.”
The space does not appear to have increased significantly, especially when Maarten opens the tailgate. “The luggage space appears to be even less, and there is still no proper compartment for the charging cable, it is the same size.” The liters confirm it, the new 2-series Active Tourer as a plug-in hybrid has 406 liters of storage volume under the parcel shelf, compared to the previous 400 liters. You can see the retention of luggage capacity as a positive, when you look at how BMW has managed to accommodate a much larger battery pack in a car that is about as spacious.
Still 1.5 three-cylinder, stronger electric motor
Under the hood in both cases is a 1.5 three-cylinder turbo, which is linked to an electric motor. The combustion engine still delivers 136 hp in the new one, it is the electric motor that makes the difference. In Maarten’s 2 series it delivers 65 kW, in our endurance tester the electric motor reaches 80 kW, which explains why the car feels nice and smooth even when you drive electrically. Under the hood of Maarten’s PHEV MPV we see a marten expulsion system. “Martens have already been wreaking havoc under the hood of the neighbour’s car, but apparently they find the wiring less tasty on BMWs,” says the BMW driver from Smilde.
System power from 224 to 245 hp
A system power of 224 hp or 245 hp gives a difference in experience. Before Maarten gets things up and running, he has to see how the new one should be brought to life. The start button is on the floating center console, as is the small selector switch for the driving modes. “Is this useful, well, it will take some getting used to,” after which Maarten, who calls himself an experienced driver, soon experiences that the current 2-series Active Tourer drives lighter and quieter. He asks if we ever play with the Iconic Sounds, the possibility of hearing sounds when you accelerate when driving electrically. That varies per editor, some find it funny, others don’t like that fake experience.
This is an excellent opportunity for us to discuss the iDrive button for controlling the multimedia – we miss it enormously – with someone who still has such a nice round rotary knob available. “I do miss it, I have to see how this works and I also wonder whether that is progress with the driving modes.” Maarten becomes enthusiastic about the range when we point out to him that the endurance tester can still drive 59 kilometers even though it is not even full. “If I want to merge quickly, I would sometimes like a little more power in mine, the new one feels faster. And I also prefer the heavier regen. You can choose electric or hybrid driving in my car with a physical switch, which is nicer. Because here you have to enter the screen for that. You can see more quickly what you need to do with my car. You will immediately see the most important functions there. How do I see that I’m driving electric?” You can hardly hear or feel it, but if the range is shown in blue you know that the electric power provides the propulsion.
Maarten in our BMW 2-series Active Tourer behind us in his Active Tourer
New EV with large range too expensive
Maarten always charges at home, where he has solar panels. “I would prefer to go completely electric. The range of the more expensive models is 450 kilometers, and then I can go up and down to the west of the country on one charge. But it is not affordable, a fully electric car. I can well imagine that the next one will be a plug-in hybrid, with a range of 60 to 80 kilometers. I bought this when it was three years old, a new 225e was too expensive for me. I would also rather buy the new model used. How does he sell anyway? I don’t see him driving much.” A look at the sales figures confirms his suspicion. With 912 units in 2022 – and it looks like the number of 2-series Tourer sales will not exceed that in 2023 – the model is a far cry from the numbers that BMW achieved with the previous generation: 2015 was the top year with no less than 3,638 copies in the Netherlands. For the X1, the counter now stands at more than 1,100 units in 2023, and you can also order that SUV with the same plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Will the successor to Maarten’s current MPV be a BMW 2-series Active Tourer plug-in hybrid? He is also charmed by the Mercedes B-class, which he likes better on the inside, although he prefers the appearance of the BMW 2-series Active Tourer over that of the Mercedes. And if reason didn’t play a role? “I really like cars, and if I had the money I would indulge more in the car field, for example, buy a 1970s classic,” says the 54-year-old enthusiast.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl