2023 BMW 216i Active Tourer review: Fun-to-drive and fuel-efficient luxury MPV

SINGAPORE - There’s something oxymoronic about the BMW 216i Active Tourer. In theory it’s a car that should be pedestrian, mundane, and not at all exciting, but from behind the wheel, after just 30 minutes of driving around, you forget that this is ‘just’ an MPV. 

As we spelt out in the complete, detailed review of the 218i Active Tourer at the time of its launch in Singapore in mid 2022, this is the second-generation version of BMW’s only MPV-shaped car. In 216i form seen here, the three-cylinder turbocharged engine turned down to 123 horsepower, putting the car into the Category A COE segment.

Much of what you get is visually identical to the more expensive 218i Active Tourer that was sold here last year, except for the fact that the engine has 13 less horses and as a consequence the car is slightly slower. 

Then there are visible signs that BMW has done its best to deliver an acceptable sense of luxury to the package within perceived buyers’ budget constraints in Singapore. The seats, for example, may look like leather but on closer inspection are covered in BMW’s Sensatec synthetic leather. In other words, PVC. 

Then what looks like sets of additional speaker grilles on the upper sections of the doors are simple blanking plates shaped to give that impression. The 216i Active Tourer, like so many of BMW’s entry-level cars, have no tweeters, also known as high frequency speaker drivers, in their audio systems. The result is audio that may seem lacking in sparkle and clarity. Raising the treble tone control isn’t going to help much because the included speakers, on their own, simply cannot reproduce the high frequencies.

Yet the car also doesn’t skimp on the user interface. The infotainment system gets the full voice-operated Intelligent Personal Assistant, still one of the best interfaces you can find in a new car. GPS navigation is also part of the package, as is a wireless phone charging dock.

Externally the car has some clever bits too, like the front cooling intakes that close off for better aerodynamic efficiency at highway speeds and when the engine doesn’t need extra cooling.

Plus, this is the M Sport version of the car which means besides the entirely cosmetic wheel upgrade, it also packs the chunky M Sport steering wheel and full sports seats for the front occupants. Yes they are covered in PVC but the support that they provide is what makes this car so fun to drive.

It’s not fast in a straight line, but if you come to peace with that limitation you’ll discover that the car is an extremely capable handler. It’s front wheel driven, and with a suspension setting that is very progressive in how it soaks up bumps and manages the car’s weight transfer as it leans through the corners. 

The BMW Group’s 500cc-per-cylinder, three and four cylinder engines are its most versatile designs and the same engine block from the 216i can be found in more powerful form powering the Mini Cooper.

In summary, the car carves corners very confidently and when driven in a sporty manner it maintains its corner speed a lot better than many other supposedly sportier cars. The other fellow may outrun you in a straight line, but come to a series of corners and the 216i Active Tourer carves it up like a serious sports car, which is part of what makes the car feel slightly confusing because you don’t expect an MPV to hang on to the corners like a Volkswagen Golf GTI. 

It’s a lot more spacious than a large hatchback like a Skoda Scala, but doesn’t have the frumpy lines of something that’s entirely functional like a Toyota Sienta. It may seat only five people and not seven but the second row is on rails and you can move it back for an enormous amount of legroom, or forwards for more boot space.

Somewhat disappointingly however is that despite the power drop over the 218i, the fuel economy of the car is officially only 0.1L/100km better. In actual use however, we recorded an average of 7.4L/100km over four days, versus the official claim of 6.8L/100km.  

In this category, the only other serious competitor to the 216i Active Tourer is still the Mercedes-Benz B-Class, but we’d argue that the 2 Series Active Tourer looks more muscular and has a classier user interface.

Yet there’s also no denying that SUVs have taken over the space once favoured by MPVs, and as a five-seat MPV the 216i Active Tourer has to compete internally with the BMW X1, which may be smaller, but currently trendier. 

The BMW 216i Active Tourer is a fun-to-drive, fuel-efficient, highly techy, luxury small MPV. If that’s what you want, it delivers.  

BMW 216i Active Tourer M Sport 

Drivetrain type	Petrol engine
Engine	1,499cc, inline 3, turbocharged
Power	123hp at 4400-6500rpm
Torque	230Nm at 1500-4000rpm
Gearbox	7-speed dual-clutch
0-100km/h	10.3 seconds
Top Speed	206km/h
Fuel Efficiency	6.8L/100km
VES Band	B / Neutral
Agent	Performance Motors Limited / Eurokars Auto
Price	S$225,888 with COE and VES
Availability	Now
Verdict	Still feels posh despite some cuts in budget, but lack of a seven-seat option a drawback too

ALSO READ: BMW XM M xDrive 4.4 will blow you away with its size and nimble handling

This article was first published in CarBuyer.