BMW Concept Active Tourer Outdoor – new way of Bavarian leisure

The BMW Concept Active Tourer Outdoor will take to the stage at the OutDoor Friedrichshafen fair. BMW will use the concept to present the company’s plug-in hybrid drive system as well as intelligent use of compact dimensions.

The Active Tourer features a unique drivetrain that combines an electric motor with a 1.5-litre petrol engine. Electric propulsion comes from a lithium-ion high-performance battery which can be recharged from a standard domestic socket. Energy can be recovered at both axles of the BMW Concept Active Tourer Outdoor and fed back into the lithium-ion high-performance battery to further enhance the eDrive system’s efficiency. The highly sophisticated 1.5-litre BMW TwinPower Turbo petrol unit works in tandem with a synchronous electric motor.

The systems combine to produce a total output of 140 kW / 190 hp, enough for a 0-100 km/h dash in under 8 seconds and a top speed of around 200 km/h. BMW claims a fuel consumption figure of under 2.5 litres per 100 kilometres.

The concept’s interior is generous in its design, creating a completely new feeling of space. Highlights include the Alu Mesh MoonGrey trim surface, made from a high-quality aluminium-fronted material, providing a visual connection between the instrument panel’s upper trim surface in MoonRock Grey Steron and lower surface in MoonWhite leather, while the load compartment floor covering comes in a robust, easy-to-clean, studded plastic material in MoonRock Grey. A refreshing contrast is provided by the leather stowage compartment covers for the load compartment floor and the left-hand side trim in Gold Race Orange.

The driver oriented multifunction instrument display features extended black panel technology, allowing drivers to feast their eyes on totally new display functionality. The four-dial view will be familiar, but the COMFORT, SPORT and ECO PRO driving experience modes, for example, are all given their own display sections and individual colour schemes, enhancing safety and efficiency and providing exceptional driver focus. This way, the driver benefits from an instrument display showing information tailored optimally to the situation at hand.

Housed in the centre of the instrument panel is a large 8-inch display used to access the suite of BMW ConnectedDrive services and the new navigation system’s route planning functions. The central Control Display also shows the current operating status of the hybrid system, which means the driver is kept informed at all times on the usage profile of the combustion engine and electric motor and given a better understanding of the energy flow within the system. The hybrid drive system’s power electronics are linked up to the intelligent Navigation system Plus, allowing it to work as efficiently as possible. The data gained as a result, such as the route profile, speed limits and traffic situation, prepare the vehicle for imminent requirements and therefore allow the available energy to be used with maximum efficiency.

The BMW Concept Active Tourer aims to demonstrate clever utilisation of space through a unique carrier system for two bicycles. In contrast to conventional solutions, this carrier is not mounted on the outside of the vehicle, but instead integrated into the interior to save space. As well as keeping bicycles dry and clean, this also has the advantage of protecting them from theft and damage. And when not in use, the carrier system disappears away into the side structure of the car or the load compartment floor, without restricting interior space.

The versatility of the BMW Concept Active Tourer makes it ideal for outdoor activities such as mountain biking, trekking and bicycle racing, especially as the last 20 to 30 kilometres (12 – 19 miles) of the journey to the start line can be completed on electric power alone and therefore with zero local emissions. In urban area where city centre parking is at a premium the the clever bicycle carrier offers an environmentally friendly mobility option as the BMW can be parked outside overcrowded central areas and the rest of the journey completed on two wheels.