So when the BMW X5 and all-wheel-drive came along a decade and a half ago it took some of us a little while to get our head around it. Now the X5 is the top selling BMW in Ballarat. The ultimate driver, it would appear, is market forces. 

Now BMW has introduced its first front-wheel-drive car - the 2-Series Active Tourer - a plus-sized hatch with the emphasis on practicality rather than "sheer driving pleasure" (another BMW slogan), and once again we have something we need to get our head around.

The Active Tourer is not pitched at your traditional BMW aficionado. It's more likely for those who have never owned a BMW - who may have liked the idea of owning a 'Beemer' but practicality had them looking elsewhere. 

The nose is unmistakably BMW and to a lesser extent so is the tail. In between is a generously sized MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) designed to offer plenty of interior space for the family. 

The Active Tourer has the most airy interior we've seen in a BMW and the amount of room available to passengers front and rear is impressive. Visibility is also excellent. Judged as an MPV it hits the spot.

Importantly, the view from the driver's seat would be immediately familiar for anyone who has sat in a BMW in the past decade. The layout of the instruments and controls is typical of the brand and therefore the Active Tourer offers that BMW experience at least, for the driver. 

Also familiar are the prestige look and feel of the materials used, and the iDrive control system which has been refined over the journey to be quite user friendly and is more elegant than many touchscreen alternatives.

The seats, meanwhile, are quite firm - more sporty than luxurious which was a surprise for this type of car. 

We picked up the entry level 218i from Ballarat BMW and then drove it in some of the worst driving conditions Ballarat could throw at us. 

By virtue of the higher centre of gravity and the front-wheel-drive layout, it does not have the same nimble handling of a 3-Series for example, but it is nevertheless competent. The ride feels firmer than other plus size hatches but on the wet roads we were driving that was no bad thing.

The weather gave us plenty of opportunity to experience some of the active safety systems in action (the Western Highway had a sheet of water running across it) and we can conclude it holds the road very well.

One pleasant surprise was the 1.5-litre twin-turbo three-cylinder engine rated at 100kW peak power and 220Nm of torque. It may be the smallest engine in the Active Tourer line-up but it feels (and sounds) pretty willing. The transmission is a six-speed automatic rather than the eight speed on higher models.

So how do we judge the Active Tourier? As a lover of rear-wheel-drive cars it is a tough one. In order to maximise space something had to give, and front-wheel-drive is undoubtedly more compact. 

As a spacious MPV which offers many of BMW's virtues in a practical package, the Active Tourer succeeds. It may not be the first thing that comes to mind when traditionalists think BMW but a whole new type of buyer now has a reason to think more seriously about the BMW brand.

Your local dealer is Ballarat BMW: 5339 9339

BMW 218i Active Tourer

ENGINE: 1.5-litre, twin turbo petrol inline three-cylinder

POWER: 100kW at 4400 revs

TORQUE: 220Nm at 1250-4300 revs

TRANSMISSION: conventional six-speed automatic

FUEL: petrol, 5.2-l/100km (European combined cycle)

BRAKES: ventilated discs front, solid discs rear, with ABS, brake assist and stability control

FEATURES: sunroof, brake-energy regeneration, lane departure warning, light city braking, rear view camera, leather upholstery, 17-inch alloy wheels

ANCAP SAFETY RATING: not yet rated

PRICE (RRP): $44,400 plus on-road costs

PRICE AS TESTED: $58,200 (including extras) drive away

OTHERS TO CONSIDER: 

AUDI A3 SPORTBACK AMBITION: from $42,800

MERCEDES BENZ B180: from $40,900