Water and electricity do not mix, right? Now imagine steering a vehicle fitted with a high-voltage, lithium-ion battery pack through streets resembling rivers during one of the wettest winters recorded in the Western Cape for some time.
Although nervous, my fears were unfounded as the ActiveHybrid3 did not once miss a beat or, thankfully, create lightning of its own. There was one incident during the last month, though, that was unrelated to weather conditions.
One of my colleagues, Sudhir Matai, used the BMW over a weekend and when he mentioned drifting the following Monday, I first thought that his naughty racing streak had compromised the tyre life of my long-term car. This time he was not to blame, however, as another nail caused the right rear tyre to deflate without the monitoring system picking up the problem immediately. Only a few kilometres after Matai caught a nasty tail-out situation did the instrument cluster lit up like a Christmas tree… Overall, the car is still mighty impressive and a joy to pilot on a regular basis given the blend of comfort and performance on tap.
Quick Facts
Mileage on arrival (km): 232 km
Mileage now (km): 13 556 km
Fuel consumption (litres/100 km): 10,78 litres/100 km
We like: Styling, sporty performance, comfort, electric-only driving
We don’t like: performance temptation, the odd jerky gearshift
