The German automaker BMW is well known for their front-wheel-drive minivan derived from the 2-Series that goes by the name of Active Tourer. (There is also a variation known as the 2-Series Gran Tourer which has seven seats and should not be mixed with Active Tourer).
What is interesting is the fact that this vehicle debuted in 2014 with the original idea of being sold in the US. Shortly after that BMW came to a realization that their idea would be a grave mistake and pulled the plug. They claim that the decision of continuing would have done them more harm than good brand-wise.
When it comes to general news about the 2-Series, it is speculated that a mid-cycle refresh is in store for the next year and a prototype for that ‘updated’ car has been spotted recently. It may not be much, but the majority of tweaks consist of visual improvements such as a new design for the daytime running lights and redesigned bumpers on both ends.
We don’t know what changes will be applied mechanics-wise. We speculate that engineers will probably focus on power and efficiency improvements of the engine (currently there are 3- and 4-cylinder units available). This prototype we have now is meant for the updated version of the 225xe iPerformance plug-in hybrid model.
The hybrid model we mentioned went on sale last year. It is similar to BMW i8 sports car powertrain-wise. By that we mean the turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-3 which is connected to a six-speed automatic at the front axle and an electric motor at the back. The i8 has the identical setup but only in reverse. That’s the similarity. The output of 225xe iPerformance is lower as well producing ‘only’ 221 horsepower.
Even though we won’t see the updated 2-Series Active Tourer here, we can be hyped for improved versions of the rear-wheel-drive 2-Series models among which is the high-performance M2!
