A capable and efficient people mover

BMW 216d Gran Tourer

BMW’s line-up used to be easy to understand. A long time ago, their line-up was made up most of the 3, 5 and 7 Series. Over the past two decades or so, this was expanded considerably. To the 3, 5 and 7 Series, BMW added the 1, 2, 4, and 6 Series. And then there’s BMW’s X family of sports utility vehicles; followed by the Z4, BMW’s purpose-built roadster; and most recently, the i3 and i8, which represents BMW’s electric car efforts. And not to forget BMW’s M division, which produces go-faster versions of BMW’s road-going cars. If you bother to count them all, BMW produces over 20 distinct models today, which is a lot. But that’s the game that automakers play these days as they attempt to provide something for everybody. For the family man, if you peer deep into BMW’s 2 Series, look past all the coupes and convertibles, and you’ll come to the 216d Gran Tourer. It’s a compact 7-seater MPV that’s the roadgoing mascot of practicality. “Compact” is really a misnomer for this car because it’s only compact in the sense that it is smaller than other MPVs like the Honda Odyssey, and the simply massive Toyota Alphard and Chrysler Grand Voyager. It’s still a big car, and drivers coming from smaller sedans will feel and notice it. 7-seaters are popular amongst families because they are great for transporting many people, and the 216d Gran Tourer is no different. The third row seats aren’t just token seats, and even adults will find that it’s quite roomy in the back. That said, I won’t recommend it for longer commutes.

AT A GLANCE:

ENGINE: 3-cylinder turbocharged diesel

CAPACITY: 1,496cc

MAXIMUM POWER AND TORQUE: 116hp / 270nm

FUEL CONSUMPTION, COMBINED: 4.4l/100km

PRICE: $171,800

The third and second row of seats can be folded flat to create a cavernous boot.

Since the Gran Tourer is a family car, a folding table option for the middle row comes in handy for road trips.

There are a lot of nooks and crannies for storage, cleverly hidden away. Of course, this means more places to lose things in the car.

And if you need space for carrying bulky items, you’ll be happy to know that the third and second row seats can also be folded flat to create a cavernous boot that can easily swallow a large bike and more. Speaking about the interior, there’s lots of storage compartments around the car. There’s hidden storage compartments under the second row of seats, and the center armrest can be folded down to reveal cup holders and additional space to keep small objects like handphones or loose change. The back of the front seats also has folding tables, which can be handy for long trips. Even in the third row, there’s a center console with cup holders and space for small items. However, the storage compartment I loved the most is the center console in the front row under the arm rest. It’s spacious and will easily fit two smartphones and more. More importantly, there’s a USB port in there which makes charging your mobile devices really convenient. Most readers might be put off by its tiny diesel engine, but don’t be. The 1.5-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine doesn’t sound exciting on paper, but it actually offers plenty of oomph. Its rated power output of 116hp is misleading, because it also serves up a generous 270nm of torque, which makes accelerations feel very brisk and overtaking on our roads a breeze. BMW claims a 0-100km/h time of 10.9 seconds for the 216d Gran Tourer, but driving it certainly feels a tad quicker than that.

CONCLUSION: A supremely practical and efficient MPV.

But perhaps more importantly, the little 3-cylinder engine feels very refined. Sure, there’s some noticeable diesel clatter upon start-up and idle, but once it gets going, it revs quite freely. Another great thing about it is that it’s very fuel efficient. In my experience with the car and with a good mix of urban and highway driving, I managed a fuel economy reading of about 17km/l or just about 5.8l/100km. If you find yourselves cruising on the highways more often, you can expect to get even better numbers. In most MPVs, you seat quite high up and can therefore feel a bit detached from the road. Not so in the 216d GT. The seating position is fairly neutral, and the steering has a good weight to it. The ride is also firm and quite communicative, but not to the point of being uncomfortable. The BMW 216d GT is one super practical family car. It won’t set your pulses racing, but it’s great for transporting many people, or many things, in relative style and comfort.