share on BufferAt the recent Friedrichshafen Outdoor Fair, BMW has unveiled the Concept Active Tourer ‘Outdoor’ version, a special version of the Concept Active Tourer, targeted to customers with an active lifestyle.
The overall exterior design and dimensions (length of 4,350 mm, a width of 1,834 mm, a height of 1,560 mm and a wheelbase of 2,670 mm) are the same of the previous model.
The main distinctive elements are in the cabin, which features a the variable rear compartment designed to accommodate sports and leisure equipment, including a carrier system for two bicycles.
Materials used include easy-care, hard-wearing materials, such as MoonWhite and MoonRock Grey leather, which stand up well to contact with outdoor equipment.
The drivetrain is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV = Plug-in-Hybrid Electric Vehicle) with a 1.5-liter gasoline engine driving the front wheels and an electric motor acting on the rear axle.
Check the full gallery here or read more details on our original article on the 2012 Concept Active Tourer. Below we report some design details from the official release.
Exterior Design
A dominant element of the characteristic BMW front view is the striking, slightly forward- leaning BMW kidney grille, complete with eye-catching orange accent strips for two of the grille bars.
The twin headlights with LED accent lights positioned like eyebrows above them extend far into the front wings and, together with the multifaceted front apron, strengthen the presence of the BMW Concept Active Tourer Outdoor.
The two large outer air intakes below the main headlights emphasize the sporting impression of the front end.
When seen in profile, even at standstill, the elongated silhouette with its suggestion of a wedge shape lends the BMW Concept Active Tourer Outdoor a dynamic aura. 20-inch wheels partly painted in Gold Race Orange reinforce the car’s sporting looks.
Defined horizontal body lines headline the rear-end view of the compact BMW. The large rear lights, extending well into the car’s flanks, accentuate the broad face of the wheels, lending visual emphasis to the car’s consummate road presence.
The large tailgate offers convenient access to the load compartment, thanks to its low loading sill and wide aperture.
The exhaust tailpipes integrated into the rear apron of the BMW Active Tourer Outdoor are likewise in Gold Race Orange.
Interior Design
The BMW Concept Active Tourer Outdoor’s interior is generous in its design, creating a completely new feeling of space. The centre console appears to be floating between the front seats and flows smoothly into the instrument panel.
This arrangement provides the driver and front passenger with the greatest possible legroom. The raised seats with their semi-command position offer outstanding all-round visibility, setting the seal on the car’s unimpeachable levels of usability and comfort.
The Alu Mesh MoonGrey trim surface, made from a high-quality aluminium-fronted material, provides a visual connection between the instrument panel’s upper trim surface in MoonRock Grey Steron and lower surface in MoonWhite leather.
The same materials headline the door trim and front seats, while the brightly perforated leather seat inlays and leather door armrests are particularly durable and easy to clean.
Added to which, Gold Race leather accent surfaces for the door trim and understated orange leather applications for the seats underline the car’s sporting character.
The interplay of colours generated by the materials extends as far as the rear compartment. In order to meet the challenges presented by leisure activities – in any weather – 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 carrier system for two bicycles is not mounted on the outside of the vehicle, as with conventional solutions – 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 extremely effectively 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.
Thus equipped, the BMW Concept Active Tourer Outdoor is ready to tackle a wide range of everyday and leisure-time transportation tasks.
The extended functionality of the BMW Concept Active Tourer Outdoor is underpinned by a level load compartment floor created by folding down the rear seats.
The carrier system is mounted against the left side of the boot area and consists of a rail system with a pivoting bracket. The rail is fitted with two mounts which hold the top tube of each bicycle in place.
The bikes’ saddles must be removed and front wheels detached before they are secured in place, which, with the quick-release mechanisms of modern sports bikes, should take only a few seconds. It is also amazingly easy to stow the wheels in a separate holder, which is integrated into the right-hand rear backrest and simply folded out when needed.
Securing the bicycles themselves is also simple and extremely convenient. The pivot bracket opens out and slides out from the interior on the rail. The bicycles are then placed on the carrier transversely to the direction of travel and fixed in place. Once the bracket has been closed again, the bicycles can be pushed back effortlessly into their resting position in the interior.
(Source: BMW)
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