2012 Paris Motor Show – BMW Concept – BMW Compact Active Tourer
The front-wheel-drive BMW Compact Active Tourer (CAT) concept has debuted at the Paris Motor Show.
BMW has unveiled the BMW Concept Active Tourer plug-in hybrid, which is a preview of BMW’s upcoming compact MPV with its new eDrive hybrid system.
The eDrive concept familiar from the BMW i8 (earlier post) 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.
The BMW Concept Active Tourer presents a drive concept which is new to the BMW brand.
The 3-cylinder, 1.5-liter gasoline engine does not drive the rear wheels—as has been the case in BMW models to date—but the front wheels.
The synchronous electric motor of the BMW Concept Active Tourer is designed as a fully-fledged power unit and acts on the rear axle, if necessary powering the car on its own.
According to BMW, the Concept Active Tourer is geared towards customers of the premium segment who appreciate a high level of comfort, a raised seating position and a generous amount of space.
