BMW has revealed the first official images of the Concept Active Tourer.
And the big news is that the CAT previews the first front-wheel drive BMWs, which are due to arrive on the market in late 2014.
Most car manufacturers ditched rear-wheel drive back in the 1980s. They argued that front-wheel drive made their cars safer and more spacious and, broadly speaking, they were right. However, when it comes to driving feel and balance, rear-wheel drive is king. And that's why BMW has clung on to good ol' fashioned RWD like a dog to the postman's leg. That is, until now...
The CAT is aimed squarely at the Merc B-Class and heralds a new styling direction for the Munich firm.
The engine in the CAT is transversely-mounted, so the BMW trademark long bonnet is unnecessary, and to give the car a more aggressive appearance -- and, incidentally, to stop it looking like a mini-van -- BMW has angled the car's kidney-grille forwards slightly.
The CAT features a hybrid powertrain which uses a 134bhp 1.5-litre three-pot engine to turn the front wheels, and a 67bhp electric motor to drive the rear ones. 0-62mph takes less than eight seconds and flat out it'll do upwards of 120mph. BMW claims the CAT will return 113mpg (yeah, right) and emit just 60g/km of CO2.
The CAT will spawn petrol, diesel and hybrid models, as well as a seven-seater.
The Concept Active Tourer will be on display on the BMW stand at the forthcoming Paris Motor Show.
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