For some people, buying an MPV is seen as a necessary evil, as you can longer live with
your hot hatch or sleek coupe and have to get something with more seats and a bigger
boot.
Ford offered keen drivers a fig leaf with the sporty S-Max back in 2006, but it’s
taken another nine years for a premium marque to launch a posh people carrier.
And of all the manufacturers to do it, who’d have thought BMW would take the plunge.
So here it is, the not-rear-wheel-drive 2 Series Gran Tourer, a stretched, seven-seat
upgrade to the Active Tourer.
Hopping inside is a slightly odd experience.
It certainly looks like a BMW, it has all the quality you’d expect and it even has
that expensive new car smell, but, you’re sat fairly high up and this huge windscreen
and short bonnet gives away the amount of space in here.
There’s loads of headroom, and light, especially with the panoramic sunroof fitted.
Our only complaint is this thick A-pillar, which creates a blind spot at roundabouts
and some junctions.
Trim levels are SE, Sport, Luxury and M Sport, and importantly all four come with a screen
and iDrive infotainment system as standard.
This is undoubtedly one of the best on the market, and we’ve found the controller wheel
is far safer to use on the move than prodding a touch-screen.
The Gran Tourer is pricey, but sat-nav, climate control, parking sensors, DAB radio and a
power tailgate are all standard.
Luxury adds a wood-trimmed dashboard, leather upholstery and different alloy wheels, while
M Sport looks racier thanks to a different body kit, 18-inch alloys and things like this
sports steering wheel.
Of course, this being a BMW, there are lots of options available too if you want the ultimate
MPV.
Unlike an M3 or i8, the rear of this car is just as important as the front, and those
in the back can be chauffeured around with as much legroom as you get in a 7 Series luxury
saloon, because the Gran Tourer is 12cm longer than the Active Tourer.
You can also get these airliner-style folding tables for your packed lunch and the middle
row slides back and forth by 13cm.
Two small seats pop-up from the boot, which can just about be used by adults for short
hops, and should prove fine for kids.
You even get cup holders back here…
With them stowed, there’s 560 litres of boot space behind the rear seats, expanding
to 1,820 litres with them all folded flat.
So, it looks like a BMW, but does it feel like one on the road?
Well, despite sharing a lot with MINI’s latest models, yes, somehow BMW has engineered
the sensations you get driving a car from Stuttgart.
The oily feel of the steering, taut body control and the fast, smooth gear changes from this
automatic are all suitably premium.
This car is the 220d xDrive, and because it’s four-wheel drive it feels even more assured
than the standard model, and can get from 0-62mph in 7.8 seconds.
To be honest, for most people it’s probably not necessary, but if you do live in the Wales
or the Scottish Highlands, the power and all-weather grip is certainly good to have.
Whatever Gran Tourer you choose, the handling is remarkably assured, and while this M Sport
is quite firm, most versions are pretty comfortable too.
For the rest of us, the 148bhp 118d is probably the sweet spot in the range, with enough pulling
power to move people and their luggage, all while returning up to 64.2mpg.
There’s also a 114bhp 1.5-litre diesel called the 116d, which gets 68.9mpg but can start
to feel sluggish when the Gran Tourer is fully loaded.
If you drive shorter distances, or want a sportier feel, you might also be interested
in the petrol 218i, with the same 136bhp engine as the MINI Cooper or the 220i with 192bhp.
They should both average between 45 and 50mpg.
As you’d probably have guessed, the Gran Tourer doesn’t come cheap, with the 218i
SE weighing in with a £24,710 starting price, compared with the £19,970 you’ll need for
a Citroen Grand C4 Picasso.
But, it is closer to the £22k VW Touran and Ford S-MAX from £24,545.
The BMW also counters with strong kit levels and excellent running costs.
If you wanted a luxury seven-seater before now, your only choice was a big SUV.
The 2 Series Gran Tourer changes that, it has a really upmarket interior and impressive
performance.
Because of its advanced engines and slippery aerodynamic shape, it’s also cheaper to
run than a traditional 4x4.
Even in this 220d xDrive, we’ve been seeing over 50mpg on most trips.
It’s styling might not quite have the wow factor of an SUV, but if you want a luxury
MPV, look no further.