Paris Dispatch | BMW
CAR / MOTOR SHOW
January 26, 2015

Paris Dispatch | BMW


BMW



BMW's 3-Cylinder Turbo Plug-in Hybrid



BMWatParis Motor Show (Paris Salon)unveiled the new plug-in hybrid, theConcept Active Tourer.” Tatsuya Otani reports from the scene on BMW's hybrid system, which drives the front wheels with a transversely mounted gasoline engine and the rear wheels with an electric motor.




Text by OTANI TatsuyaPhotographs by MOCHIZUKI Hirohiko




Design Aimed at Production



While currently a concept car, the meticulously detailed design suggests that the Active Tourer will likely go into production in the near future.



What's truly surprising is its adoption of front-wheel drive, a first for the BMW brand. Furthermore, its ride height is a rather tall 1,560mm. In fact, including its 4,350mm length, 1,834mm width, and 2,670mm wheelbase, the Active Tourer's dimensions are remarkably close to those of the current modelMercedes-BenzB-Class” (4,365×1,785×1,540mm, with a 2,700mm wheelbase).



However, while the B-Class underwent a full model change with a significantly lowered roofline, the Active Tourer raises its roof height and adopts front-wheel drive. It's as if the previously contrasting approaches of Mercedes-Benz and BMW are now influencing each other, a truly fascinating development.



The styling is unmistakably BMW, apart from the slightly longer front overhang due to the front-wheel drive configuration. The only notable new motif is the plate bearing the car's name embedded in the air intake of the chin spoiler.


BMW Concept ACtive Tourer

BMW Concept ACtive Tourer


The powertrain employs a plug-in hybrid system. The 1.5-liter inline 3-cylinder turbocharged engine, mounted transversely (!) at the front, drives the front wheels, while an electric motor powers the rear wheels, giving it a configuration similar to Peugeot's3008 HYbrid4.”



However, the Active Tourer can travel over 20km in pure EV mode, making it significantly more powerful than the Peugeot system. The system output is a maximum of 190ps, achieving 0-100km/h in under 8 seconds and a top speed of around 200km/h. It boasts fuel efficiency of over 40km/l and CO2 emissions below 60g/km according to European standards.



The Active Tourer, rumored to debut as early as 2013, presents an interesting case. While BMW's sub-brand "BMW i" meticulously engineered its electric vehicles for a 50:50 weight distribution, the documentation for the Active Tourer did not include details on its weight distribution.

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