insideKENT Magazine Issue 33 - December 2014 | Page 151

In my role as motoring writer/photographer for
insideKENT, I have had the pleasure of driving
various BMW models, all of which have been a
delight to try out. Reliable, powerful and
impressive in both looks and performance, it's
fair to say I was rather excited to hear that the
prestigious manufacturer had created a new
model, the BMW 2 Series.
In every way, the 218i represents all of the
qualities we have grown to expect from the
legacy and engineering expertise of BMW. In
what is for them, a brand new venture, the Active
Tourer is essentially a compact MPV hatchback,
and interestingly, BMW anticipate 75% of its
buyers to be first-time BMW owners.
At first glance, its compact size (it's only 20mm
longer than a 1 Series) and handsome lines mean
that the 218i doesn't look like the quintessential
school-run bus. And while its ridiculously good
looks may deceive, the 218i well and truly ticks
the MPV box, giving a lot more scope for those
with families and busy lives. A decent amount
of legroom and boot space allows for such things
as kids, dogs, shopping bags and golf clubs,
plus it undoubtedly offers a great balance of
performance, practicality and efficiency.

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With its artistically crafted bodywork, which
includes alluringly attractive alloy wheels, a front
grille/sidelight combo reminiscent of a Ford
Mustang, and the enhancing sporty Flamenco
Red Metallic paint job (worn by the model we
were testing), the 218i looks ready to go
somewhere, and quite fast.
Inside, you are treated to one of the most
luxurious interiors of any car in this class. Lovely
Black Dakota and Red Highlight leather meets
fantastically comfortable contoured seats, stylish
panels and dials. Impressively, the Active Tourer
has the same amount of interior space as a 3
Series Tourer, meaning there is a very reasonable
amount of head and legroom for three averagesized adults. The standard boot space is good,
but the 218i really comes into its own when you
fold the seats flat, creating a whopping 1,510
litres of space.
There was plenty of tech in and on the 218i as
well, a lot of which comes as standard, including
dual-zone climate control, automatic tailgate,
and rear parking sensors. The sound system
(something that as a musician and music-lover
I always evaluate very carefully) delivered some
great noises, which thanks to the low engine/road