BMW Concept Active Tourer breaks with tradition, goes front-wheel drive [w/video]
With an upright driving position and Hofmeister kink at the D-pillar, the Concept Active Tourer evokes some design elements used in BMW’s crossovers. The front end, however, is unmistakably influenced by the new 3 Series. At 171 inches, it’s just an inch longer than the F20 1 Series, but it’s also roughly five inches taller.
The Concept Active Tourer is motivated by BMW’s eDrive system. It features a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine as part of a hybrid drivetrain, with its charge derived from a lithium-ion battery pack. Combined, the plug-in hybrid system makes 190 horsepower and 147 pound feet of torque. In a major break with BMW protocol, the Concept Active Tourer is front-wheel drive. BMW claims zero to 62 mph in under eight seconds and a top speed of 124 mph. Fuel economy is estimated at 2.5 liters per 100 kilometers, or roughly 94 miles per gallon on the European cycle.
The rumormill had a production (and likely non-hybrid) version of the Active Tourer wearing the 1 Series Gran Turismo nameplate, and there’s still a chance that this compact tall wagon could wear that name in production form. There’s no official word on if or when a roadgoing version will bow, but we aren’t expecting it to come to North America anyhow. In the meantime, check out our gallery of the Active Tourer Concept before scrolling down to watch a video and read BMW’s official verbiage.
Three fascinating concept studies will point the way forward to a future defined by both sustainability and driving pleasure. What is more, BMW sends out an impressive signal in terms of efficiency, premium quality and innovative technology with its latest models in a range of vehicle segments. BMW Connected Drive innovations and the BMW M Performance accessories round off the appearance at the Paris show.
BMW Concept Active Tourer: more space for innovations.
The BMW Concept Active Tourer sees its premiere at the 2012 Paris Motor Show and offers an initial insight into further innovations for the premium compact segment. In this study BMW demonstrates groundbreaking solutions in terms of both the interior and the drive concept. The latter features a fresh combination of comfort and functionality with dynamic performance and style: a plug-hybrid drive ensures the very highest level of efficiency.
With an external length of 4,350 millimetres, sporty proportions and hallmark lines, the concept study brings characteristic BMW aesthetic appeal to yet another vehicle segment. A raised seating position, generous space for driver and passengers and the flexibly extendable luggage compartment are the defining aspects of the BMW Concept Active Tourer interior. It combines versatile functionality with excellent ride comfort, all within the high-quality ambience of a premium automobile. A special version of the BMW eDrive concept takes care of the dynamic facets which go to make up the character of this study. The system comprises a 3-cylinder petrol engine and a synchronous electric motor, generating a combined output of 140 kW/190 bhp and accelerating the BMW Concept Active Tourer from zero to 100 km/h in less than eight seconds. The vehicle has an average fuel consumption of less than 2.5 litres per 100 kilometres and a CO2 emissions level of under 60 grams per kilometre. The lithium-ion battery of this plug-in hybrid automobile can be charged at a conventional mains socket. Its capacity allows ranges of over 30 kilometres when operated on electric power alone.
