The Concept Active Tourer outdoor revealed by BMW surely gives an idea about BMW’s future cars offering front wheel drive. This concept will form the basis of the forth coming series called BMW 1 series GT MPV. There will be more than 20 such cars with BMW and Mini brands offering a front wheel drive. This is the beginning of a new future for BMW.
The initial BMW Concept Active Tourer was unveiled at the 2012 Paris Motor Show which was held on 29th September 2012. The event highlighted all new technology from BMW. The car was carefully designed with respect to its dimension so that it could fit into the compact luxury car segment. It offered ultimate style and comfort. The car was equipped with eDrive technology which was a new element introduced by BMW. The interior of the concept car was spacious and exotic, perfectly complementing the High Reflection Silver coloured exterior. Now this concept has been taken one step ahead with the Concept Active Tourer Outdoor. It is pretty much on the same lines as that of CAT but is definitely sportier when it comes to its looks. This altogether new concept will soon be seen as the BMW 1- series GT MPV. As of now, it is expected that this new GT will be launched somewhere in the year 2015.
Although the pictures have been revealed, BMW will be officially unveiling this new concept, CAT Outdoor, at a German Outdoor Pursuits show. This event will focus on exhibiting BMW’s ideology, which is defined as “fresh route to combining sporting aesthetics and style with compact dimensions and functionality”
BMW says that the car is offering ample amount interior space and has a variable rear compartment that makes it perfect for everyday use. It even houses a stand for carrying sports utilities. The car has an enlarged tail gate with a wide aperture. The boot has a bicycle stand which is foldable. This avoids unnecessary consumption of space. The centre console on the inside is “floating” in the front row. This improves the leg room in the front row seats. The fabric used to cover up the interiors is supreme and has been contrasted with leather coverings on the boot floor.
The car is equipped with a 3 cylinder transverse engine having a fuel capacity of 1.5 litres. This concept car also has a plug – in electric motor which may or may not be a part of the production car. If mounted, this electric motor will use a lithium ion battery. The turbo charged engine along with electric motor are capable of producing a power of 188 bhp. BMW also says that the CAT will complete its transition form 0 kmph to 100 kmph in a span of less than 8 seconds.
A note worthy feature is the ECO PRO mode of the car. This mode reduces the energy consumption by air conditioning and also by other equipments in the car that rely on electricity. It also displays various driving tips which further add to the efficiency of the car. This Pro Active Driving Assistant along with navigation system guides the driver to choose a route that offers least traffic and is therefore more fuel efficient.
The car will be available in 2 models – 5-seater and 7-seater. The pictures which have been revealed are of the 5-seater model. Since the car will be utilizing transversely mounted engines, the interiors will be very spacious and will spare the car of a typical minivan look.
BMW is all set to unveil this new concept car painted in Gold Orange at the Outdoor Friedrichshafen Fair which will be held tomorrow, 12th July 2013.
