BMW 2 Series Active Tourer plug-in hybrid review - pictures

The 2 Series Active Tourer is a great compact MPV and BMW has seen fit to upgrade it with hybrid running gear.

The resulting 225xe is a four-wheel-drive MPV that claims to return 141.2mpg in mixed motoring.

The interior is identical to the standard 2 Series Active Tourer.

The 225xe doesn't drive as well as its conventionally powered sibling.

The heavy batteries take the sharp edge off the cars handling.

There's little trade-off in practicality, but driver fun is blunted.

The 225xe unfortunately costs over £6,000 more than our pick of the 2 Series Active Tourer range, making it a very expensive car.

If you really need the four-wheel-drive that the 225xe offers, we'd recommend choosing the 220d xDrive instead.