The 2-series Gran Tourer is BMW’s seven-seat version of the Active Tourer, the brand’s first front-wheel drive model.

A total of 21cm longer and identical until the C-pillar, the Gran Tourer can, unlike the Active Tourer, fit three child seats in the middle row, while the third row folds flat into the boot when not in use.

The price gap will be £1700 when the Active Tourer’s price increases in the coming months to account for satnav being introduced as standard on all BMW models.

As well as the extra space and two extra seats in the rear, that pays for roof rails, aircraft-style tables for the outer middle row passengers and extra storage.

The engine line-up is almost identical, save the most powerful petrol version – the least fleet-relevant one – from the Active not making its way over to the Gran.

That means two petrol and three diesel engines, culminating with the 220d that is offered with either front- or all-wheel drive, the latter expected to be a popular choice and costing an extra £1500. Other Xdrive 4×4 variants may be added later this year.

Little of BMW’s famed agility and handling is lost in the translation to front-wheel drive and an MPV-style car. It’s still nimble, and the ride quality isn’t compromised.

The rear seats aren’t easy to access, and third-row headroom means the back two seats are for child use only.

The middle row of seats slides by 13cm to give the most-needed combination of leg- and luggage room, and satnav, DAB radio, Bluetooth, collision warning and rear parking sensors are standard across the range.

The residual values and decent emissions, though significantly higher than the Active Tourer, make a good case for this new seven-seater, against either cheaper mini-MPVs or full-size seven-seaters such as the Ford S-max that are larger and more practical, but cost the same and don’t carry premium badge cachet.