(September 15, 2012) — BMW will present its BMW Concept Active Tourer, a plug-in hybrid that has the ability to travel 18 miles on the batteries, at the Paris Motor Show in two weeks. BMW says the front-wheel drive vehicle is the first in the premium compact segment vehicle to combine comfort and space functionality with dynamic performance and style.

Annual growth rates of up to five per cent are expected in the small car and compact segment of the premium class in the years to come. For this reason, the BMW Concept Active Tourer is a key component in the ongoing development of the BMW brand and its model portfolio.



As a plug-in hybrid, the BMW Concept Active Tourer also provides a glimpse ahead to future drive variants in automobiles of the compact class. The eDrive concept familiar from the BMW i8 is used here for the first time in a model of the core BMW brand and will in future be the designation for all electric and plug-in hybrid drives. It covers all components of the electric drive, the electric motor developed by BMW, the lithium-ion battery and the intelligent engine control unit.

BMW says the Concept Active Tourer will be attractive to families who attach importance to functionality and versatility as well as lifestyle and athletic flair.

A length of 170 inches, a long wheelbase of 105 inches, a high roofline and the compact transverse engine with front-wheel drive make it possible to create a generously sized interior. The spacious load compartment of the BMW Concept Active Tourer provides fully-fledged everyday suitability since the batteries of the hybrid drive are housed entirely underneath the load floor.

The Active Tourer operates on a turbocharged 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine and electric motor generating a combined 190 horsepower. Top speed is predicted to be 124 mph.

Like the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, the Concept Tourer has an onboard generator that powers the electric motor once the battery has been depleted. But unlike the Volt, the battery requires a 220-volt household power source; the Volt can take a charge from a conventional 110-volt outlet.

Inside, the Tourer includes an eight-inch central information display and a shade roof panel not unlike the Magic Sky Control feature from Mercedes-Benz, which allows push-button control of the roof’s opacity. The Tourer has seating for five, and a vertical metal track integrated in the back of the front seats can accommodate clip-on tabletops and tablet computers.