BMW 2 Series AT MY 3

BMW Malaysia has introduced the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer in Malaysia - the company first compact people mover makes its debut here in a sole form, as a 218i variant.

The front-wheel drive five-seater, which measures at 4,342 mm long, 1,800 mm wide and 1,555 mm tall (with a 2,670 mm-long wheelbase), is powered by a three-cylinder 1.5 litre TwinPower Turbo petrol unit.

The engine, which premiered on the BMW i8, develops 136 hp at 4,500-6,000 rpm and 220 Nm from 1,250 rpm t0 4,300 rpm (with overboost to 230 Nm available for short periods) here. It's paired with a six-speed Steptronic auto transmission, and performance specs include a top speed of 205 km/h and a 0-100 km/h time of 9.2 seconds.

BMW 2 Series AT MY 5

For the Malaysian market, the 218i will be available in Standard guise, but there's a Luxury Line trim that can be specified. General equipment includes auto start/stop, LED headlights with LED DRLs and cornering lights, a six-speaker audio system and 6.5-inch colour monitor as well as a rear view camera. Also on, auto air-conditioning, an electronic parking brake and sports leather steering wheel.

The Standard variant's interior features Sensatec artificial leather upholstery and black high-gloss interior trim finishers with chrome highlights, while the exterior is dressed in Chrome line elements and 16-inch Turbine Style 472 wheels with 205/50 profile rubbers.

The Luxury Line version, as you'd expect, adds a number of items into the equation - the wheels get bumped up to 18-inch Y-spoke Style 484 units (with 225/45 tyres), and the variant gets Comfort Access, Park Assistant and an auto tailgate.

Inside, the seats are finished in Leather Dakota upholstery, and the cabin is dressed in a Fineline Stream fine-wood trim scheme with Pearl Chrome finishers. Also, the sound system gets bumped up to a 205-watt, seven speaker system.

Safety equipment includes front, side and head airbags, the last running front-to-rear and covering the entire window, Isofix mounts and the usual raft of three-letter acronyms - DSC, ABS, ASC and DBC among them.

Price-wise, the BMW 218i goes for RM218,800 in its Standard variant form (on-the-road without insurance), and opting for the Luxury Line package will add RM30,000 into the mix. The 218i comes with a three-year/60,000 km BMW Service + Repair Inclusive package.