SPIED: BMW's Active Tourer Getting XL'd? Will This Be BMW's R-Class?

OK, I'll be upfront. I am not exactly following this whole BMW Active Tourer Concept thing. Frankly, I could care less. I am as excited as a tranquilized horse ready to be sent to the glue factory.

But the reality is that it's very obvious BMW is moving ahead with its plans. While I have yet to see spy shots of an Active Tourer making its way around for developmental purposes, I did just run across shots of what's purported to be an "XL" variant.

This makes much more sense over what would be a standard wheelbase product given that the i3 will be making its official debut in short order.

This gets me thinking, who and what would this compete with? Aside from the Japanese minivans and MPVs, which are larger and likely to be less expensive, who would go up against this? The Mercedes-Benz R-Class isn't around anymore, either. Perhaps BMW should take note as to why...

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t_bone - 5/18/2013 2:32:21 PM

+2 Boost

Count me in...me and all 23 other of us. Thought about the R but my wife wouldn't go for it because of the length. Ended up with the Mazda 5. If this is real I will preorder with the biggest engine offered.

Agent00R - 5/18/2013 7:36:06 PM

-2 Boost

LOL

What is it about this vehicle you're interested in?

t_bone - 5/18/2013 11:28:08 PM

+1 Boost

Big on the inside, small on the outside...but with BMW quality. And most important, not an SUV.

jeffgall - 5/18/2013 8:51:28 PM

-1 Boost

You considered a Mercedes and ended up with a cheap Mazda? I think more than length thwarted your decision.

t_bone - 5/18/2013 11:26:16 PM

+4 Boost

Great deals on used R's (they depreciate like a stone)...that was the alternative.

nguyenvuminh - 5/19/2013 1:17:13 AM

+1 Boost

Oh my goodness t_bone, talk about a meeting of the minds. I am a big fan of the Mazda 5 as well and your comments captured my thinking perfectly. Hate SUVs, small on the outside and big on the inside, not to mention 3 rows of seating (yeah yeah, 3rd row is for kids but that's 90% of the time anyway), sliding door, car-like handling (for real, not marketing jibberish either). This type of car is very popular in Europe and getting more so in Asia. It won't do well in the US I'm afraid because it can't accommodate our girth and can't overcome our obsession with SUVs and CUVs (aka dressed station wagons). But with a BMW badge on it, who knows??? Not sure whether BMW would even consider it for the US market though (Ford backed out at the last minute with their Grand C-Max plan, remember?)

nguyenvuminh - 5/19/2013 1:18:21 AM

+1 Boost

Clarification, my comment about 3 row seating and sliding door was about the Mazda 5, not this car.