• Easy to get in and out of
• Good visibility all-round
• Boot good, but not amazing

How much space is there?

Importantly for an MPV, the 2 Series Active Tourer is easy to get into and see out of. Up front the driving position is nice and high, much like an SUV, and we like the sheer number of storage spaces. The door pockets are big enough for one-litre drinks bottles, and the cupholders up front are large enough for most drinks this side of the Atlantic. There’s also a useful storage tray under the centre console that can take all manner of baby equipment.

The rear doors open wide which is good for hauling child seats in and out of. There are two Isofix points in the rear and another for the front passenger seat, and five fully grown adults can sit for short journeys. A tunnel that runs down the centre of the car limits leg room for the middle rear seat passenger though.

Families will love the 2 Series Active Tourer. In his long-term test, our New Cars Editor Alan Taylor-Jones said: ‘Our pram fits into the boot with more space to spare and there are loads of handy cubbies for toys, bottles and the mountain of wet wipes we’re currently getting through. As we’re keeping him up front for the moment, the standard front Isofix is most welcome and I have a lot more space to stretch out in the back, regardless of who I sit behind.’

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Boot space and storage

The backrest can be adjusted to get another 90 litres worth of storage space out of the boot, taking maximum storage space to 415 litres on mild-hybrid cars. Diesel models have the biggest boots while plug-in hybrid cars have the smallest because their electric motors take up even more space than the mild-hybrid’s small battery.

This car’s biggest rival, the Mercedes B-Class, has a larger boot (445 litres) but it’s a touch higher up, making loading heavy items that little bit harder.

Alan commented in his long-term test: ‘The boot has proved big enough for a chunky stroller even without sliding the rear bench forwards which has again helped rear legroom. In fact, the only rear space gripe has been regarding the car’s width when squeezing three in the back, although we can blame its compact exterior dimensions for that.’

Is it easy to park?

The view out of the rear is good, once again helped by the big windows. All models come with a reversing camera and an automatic parking system, which means it can parallel and perpendicular park all by itself, as well as steer itself in reverse when leaving a tight spot.

You can also spec a 360-degree camera with a bird’s eye view of your surroundings.

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Safety

• Five star safety rating
• Lots of safety tech on offer
• No front seat Isofix

Euro NCAP, the European authority that tests the safety performance of cars, has given the 2 Series Active Tourer top marks.

It’s packed with safety kit such as AEB, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control and scored highly in the test’s Safety Assist category. No front Isofix point, but there are two points in the rear.

Watch: BMW 2 Series Active Tourer Euro NCAP crash test video