The carmaker said it sees great potential for the forthcoming model, which bears the distinction of being the first BMW people carrier and the first front-wheel drive BMW as well as the first core-brand BMW to become available with a three-cylinder engine.

‘The response to the 2 Series Active Tourer has been extremely positive, which makes us confident that this new vehicle will be a resounding success,’ said Harald Krüger, board member of BMW AG responsible for production, as the new vehicle was presented in Sölden (Austria) today (23rd July). 

The main markets for the 2 Series Active Tourer will be Europe and China. Europe is likely to account for some 40% of sales and China around 15%.

‘Apart from its amazing agility, unique for a vehicle in this segment, customers will appreciate the higher sitting position and spacious interior as well as its compactness, functionality and convenience,’ stated Mr Krüger.

The carmaker added that the launch of its first people carrier will open up its appeal to new customer groups.

‘Demand for premium cars in the compact class is developing very promisingly,’ Mr Krüger continued. ‘With the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer we mainly want to appeal to customers who may for family reasons have a wide range of needs in terms of functionality and convenience, but at the same time want to enjoy BMW’s typical strengths such as sportiness and innovative design. We are talking about a combination that has not been available on the market in the past and which sets us apart from the competition.

The launch of the model comes as BMW rolls out a cross-model vehicle architecture that’s expected to bring synergy benefits. The two platforms comprise one for future four-wheel and rear-wheel drive models and one cross-brand front- and four-wheel drive architecture, on which the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer is based.

‘The standardisation of development and production processes based on the concept of cross-model/brand architectures and engine modules enables us to achieve considerable economies of scale within the Group,’ said Mr Krüger. 

The new model is also marked out for being the first BMW to benefit from the modular engine concept, which means that the group can manufacture 3-, 4- and 6-cylinder petrol- and diesel-powered engines of varying capacities on one single assembly line, reducing both development and production costs. 

The BMW 2 Series Active Tourer is due to be launched on the European market on 27th September 2014.