BMW wants to conquer you with its 2 Series Active Tourer [Gallery]

BMW has claimed that the 2 Series Active Tourer (pictured) will have a 75% conquest rate – in other words 75% of sales will come from buyers new to the brand, or coming from other brands, which is kind of obvious really unless perhaps you’re new to cars, period.

It’s also obvious why really, because when you look at it – the 2 Series Active Tourer – it’s more than possible that those looking to buy one won’t even realise they’re looking at a BMW. Is this a good thing? For BMW probably yes, which has a penchant for plugging every possible hole in the market, real or invented.

A shocking and interesting statistic that came out a few years ago revealed that 80% of BMW 1 Series drivers believed that they were driving a front wheel drive car. I know, sacrilege!

BMW obviously took this as more than a hint because the 2 Series Active Tourer is the first BMW (branded) vehicle to use the company’s front-wheel drive platform. It isn’t new, we know this already, it’s already doing service in the MINI range and always has.

Back to the Beemer, which is somewhere between a hatchback, a Honda FRV and Mercedes-Benz B-Class, and probably views the latter as its real competition. It doesn’t have the trick 3+3 seating arrangement of the Honda, instead using the common 2+3 layout.

Families are who the 2 Series Active Tourer will be aiming to conquer and in that regard it should succeed with a long wheelbase, and front wheel drive, which frees up the cabin for maximum interior space — the transmission tunnel in a traditional rear wheel drive layout is a massive space killer. A raised roofline and elevated seating position meanwhile should pull at the crossover crowd.

An array of small capacity blown petrol and diesel engines will be offer as well as a new 1.5 litre three cylinder engine due to make its debut in the Active Tourer and to be badged 218i. At launch a 225i and 218d complete the trio of engine options.