2014 BMW Concept Active Tourer

 

         2014 BMW Concept Active Tourer

 

The Mercedes B-class is a style of car completely new to us. Mercedes has launched the hatch/Sports tourer/MPV in India and to respond to the B-class BMW has come out with the Concept Active Tourer. The Concept Active Tourer will be shown at the Paris Motor Show later in the month and the reason that it has already generated interest is because the CAT will be the first front-wheel-drive BMW production car and will also have a transverse engine layout. Expected to be launched in 2014 the CAT which represents a marked shift for BMW will use the same platform and engines from the all-new MINI range. BMW hopes that this new platform and range of cars will help it reach a sales figure of 2 million by 2020.

Design and Interiors

According to reports the production version won’t be too different to look than Concept Active Tourer which has a contemporary look. Making the 5 door hatch look handsome is the bonnet which is shorter (because of the transverse engine layout) than what we are used to on BMW’s and the roofline too is higher than what we get on current BMW’s. The kidney grille is tilted forward and the front fascia has swept back headlights.
The tailgate is at an angle too and the car rides on 20inch alloys hidden by the flared wheel arches but the production version will definitely get smaller wheels. The rear tail lamps are a bit similar to the 6-series and so are the short overhangs. There is a bit of similarity in the design to the 5-series GT and the car measures 4353mm in length, 1834mm in width and has a height of 1560mm in height. The wheelbase is a bit shorter than the B-class.
The interior styling is completely new for BMW and to increase the interior space BMW has moved the glasshouse forward. Use of material is awesome but the production version will obviously get something not this expensive but being a BMW the CAT will obviously be built to excellent standards. The dashboard is driver oriented and designed around him and also includes full colour head up display.
Front passengers get good space and the front seats are mounted high giving the driver and passenger good visibility. The rear seat splits 40:20:40 and the CAT has a ‘Cool shade’ panoramic roof made of two sheets of glass that by pressing a button can be changed from opaque to clear. To begin with the CAT will come as a five seater and will also eventually come as a seven seater too.

Engine and Performance

The Concept Active Tourer that would be shown at the Paris Motor Show would be a plug-in hybrid. This car will use BMW’s all new 1.5-litre, 3 cylinder direct injection petrol engine that will also be used in the new Minis. Codenamed B38, this motor will be used in the i8 sports car and uses twin-scroll turbochargers and will produce 135PS which will drive the front wheels, while the rears driven by a 68PS electric motor. Acceleration to 100kmph is achieved in 8seconds and the hatch has a top speed of 190kmph. The CAT automatically changes from the petrol to the electric motor that is mounted in the floor and drive is sent to all four wheels through an 8 speed automatic gearbox.
Apart from this Hybrid variant there will also be a diesel and petrol variant.
The all-new 1.5-litre, 3 cylinder engine is also rumoured to drive the current 1-series and 3-series. Codenamed B38 and B37 for the petrol and diesel variant respectively, this engine is expected to be around 15 percent more economical than the current N20 four-cylinder engines from BMW. These engines use an alloy block along with Valvetronic Variable Valve timing with a longer stroke than the N20.
These engines represent BMW’s modular engine strategy for its next generation of cars which would see all engines based on the same 500cc cylinder. According to the manufacturer the petrol motor will produce between 40PS to 67SP per cylinder resulting in a total power output of 122PS to 202PS. The diesel engines share around 60 percent of its architecture with the petrol and would produce between 102PS to around 205PS. The manufacturer is also planning the B48, the four-cylinder engine built around the B38 which would power the next-generation Mini Cooper S.

Ride

The CAT will use the UKL1 (means ‘unter klasse’in German or sub class or entry level platform) platform which will be used in a long and a short wheelbase and this platform will also be used for the next-generation Mini line-up and also for the all new 1-series that will be launched in 2013. The front wheels will be driven by a gasoline engine while the rear wheels are powered by an electric motor. BMW’s have traditionally used a longitudinal engine layout which provides better weight distribution resulting in handling that has made BMW a legendary brand. This platform is new to BMW but this would reduce production costs in the small car line up that the manufacturer in planning.
The Concept Active Tourer features three driving modes – Comfort, Sport and Eco Pro.

Verdict

The Concept Active Tourer is a first of its kind vehicle from BMW. The transverse engine layout and front wheel drive is something BMW users aren’t used to and the CAT is a new kind of vehicle from the manufacturer. Aimed at the B-class, this BMW would eventually make it into India and even though it uses a new platform and layout, given the manufacturers legendary handling capabilities we expect this car to live up to BMW standards. There will be a choice of diesel, petrol and also a hybrid version. The styling and interiors aren’t like on any BMW we have seen but knowing the high standards that the German manufacturer has set for itself, the production version is definitely worth waiting for.