Earlier today, we brought you an overview of BMW's plans for the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. Many of the new models included a plug-in hybrid variant, but we thought the 225xe Active Tourer merited a closer look.
It's a five-seat compact people carrier powered by a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid powertrain. And it has four-wheel drive. But the rear wheels are only powered by an electric motor, making it unique in the class and highly efficient with it.
Exterior
It'll be hard to visually differentiate the 225xe from any other Active Tourer, especially as it appears that it should be available in several trim levels (globally at least - Irish market plans for this car are as yet unknown). There is unique badging (including a rather unnecessary one on the D-pillar) and a flap above the left front wheel covering the recharging socket.
Interior
There's more subtle badging inside, plus unique instrumentation and a few extra switches to control the hybrid system functionality. Rear seat passengers sit 30mm higher to facilitate the battery underneath, but otherwise the 225xe promises to be as spacious as any other Active Tourer. The 400-litre boot remains unchanged.
Mechanicals
Under the bonnet of the 225xe is BMW's turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, producing 136hp. It solely drives the front wheels, via a six-speed Steptronic automatic transmission. A 65kW (88hp) electric motor drives the rear wheels, taking power from the 7.7kWh lithium-ion battery mounted under the rear seat. This can be charged on board using braking regenerative energy, from the petrol engine or by plugging it into the mains. BMW quotes a maximum electric-only range of 41 kilometres, at speeds of up to 125km/h.
This unique layout means the 225xe can be front-drive only, rear-drive only or all-wheel drive, depending on requirements and the speed. Indeed, there's even torque vectoring when all four wheels are driven so it promises to be great to drive. Auto eDrive, Max eDrive or Save Battery modes control the hybrid system, and the driver can also select the usual Sport, Comfort and Eco Pro settings to alter the characteristics of the throttle response, gearbox calibration and steering.
So what are the results of all this technology in raw numbers? Well, the 225xe sprints from 0 to 100km/h in just 6.7 seconds on the way to 202km/h top speed for a start, so it's fast, but it's also highly efficient, certainly when used to maximise the plug-in charge. Official figures peg consumption as low as 2.0 litres/100km (141.2mpg), while CO2 emissions are rated at 46g/km.
Anything else?
For now the 225xe is solely produced as an Active Tourer, but we can't see why it wouldn't be rolled out to the seven-seat Gran Tourer in the future, plus perhaps the BMW X1 and 1 Series.
Buyers can see the new model for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show, which runs 15-27 September.