BMW unveils radical new Active Tourer concept
BMW unveils radical new Active Tourer concept
Show all 5BMW has released the first details of its Active Tourer concept vehicle. If its advanced technologies make it into a future production version, the resulting car promises to be one of the most significant in the company's history.
The Active Tourer has a rather un-BMW-like compact semi-MPV body style but that's the least of this car's departures from the Bavarian manufacturer's traditional way of doing things. That body conceals a plug-in petrol hybrid drive-train capable of powering the Active Tourer for almost twenty miles in electric-only mode after a top-up from the mains. The electric motor is paired with a new 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine. The rear wheels are driven by the electric motor, and front pair by the petrol engine – and that's probably the biggest shock of all, given BMW's long attachment to the benefits of rear-wheel drive. The company says this set-up is based on the power-train that will be seen in the much sportier i8.
The combination of electric and petrol power produces a total power output of 190 PS, enough, BMW reckons, for a top speed of 125 mph and a 0-100km/h (62 mph) acceleration time of less than eight seconds – impressive figures if the car also achieves anything like the claimed 113 mpg and sub-60g/km CO2 emissions.
BMW isn't being specific about production plans but says the Active Tourer “presents a real opportunity for the continued growth of the BMW brand”.
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