BMW is headed to the Paris Motor Show 2012 (29 September to 14 October 2012) to unveil the Concept Active Tourer.
As a plug-in hybrid, the BMW Concept Active Tourer also provides a glimpse ahead to future drive variants in automobiles of the compact class. The eDrive concept familiar from the BMW i8 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 interior of the BMW Concept Active Tourer is both transparent and refreshingly new. The open-pore laminated wood milled from a single block provides the visual link between the upper and low decor surfaces of the instrument panel. The door trim panels and seats are covered in light, velvety soft full-grain leather and smooth leather.
The centre console appears to hover between the two front seats with a smooth transition to the dashboard. This arrangement guarantees maximum legroom for both driver and front passenger.
The circular instruments in Black Panel Technology are within the driver’s field of vision, as is the monitor of the central information display. As an optional extra, a full-colour Head-Up-Display appears on a special retracting glass surface between the steering wheel and windscreen. The raised seats in the so-called semi-command position also ensure an excellent all-round view, rounding off the optimum level of operating convenience and comfort.
An innovative panorama sunroof creates a unique ambience, extending across the entire roof surface of the BMW Concept Active Tourer. The composite glass roof with innovative Suspended Particle Device (SPD) technology means that the desired brightness or temperature effect can be created at the press of an electric button – either being darkened to the level of powerful sunglasses or raised to crystal clear brightness. Occupants can achieve a special lighting effect by manually adding a large-area leaf structure design to the glass roof. Electrical impulses cause the molecular structure of the glass to change at continuously varying levels between light and dark according to preference. The play of light and shadow thus created highlights the sense of space, thereby generating a pleasantly atmospheric lighting effect on all seats.
Instead of a conventional instrument cluster with four analog circular instruments providing the driver with information on speed, engine speed, fuel level and oil temperature, there is a 10.25-inch integrated screen which makes for a modern display experience.
The familiar look with four circular instruments is still retained, but the use of extended Black Panel Technology gives the drive a whole new range of display options. For example, the screen shows the drive experience modes COMFORT, SPORTand ECO PRO with differing indicators and in distinctive colour schemes, thereby ensuring increased safety and efficiency as well as exemplary driver orientation. As a result, the instrument cluster provides the driver with information which perfectly matches the situation on the road.
