The BMW Concept Active Tourer concept car that you see here is the first official sign of what's possibly the biggest about-turn in BMW's history.
BMW has always prided itself on the fact that all of its cars push their power through the back wheels, which allows for highly balanced road holding and a more involving feel.
Now the company is about to release a family of small cars with front-wheel drive, which reaps the advantages of lower cost and better packaging - resulting in more interior space.
BMW purists lose; mom's school run wins.
IN SHOWROOMS SOON
The Concept Active Tourer is believed to be a very vivid preview of the first model that will come off this FWD platform, which will also be shared with future Mini models.
The MPV-like hatch is likely to be called the 1 Series GT and will not replace the rear-wheel drive 1 Series but rather earn its keep as a more practical alternative. That said, it is widely speculated that future versions of the 1 Series will make the leap to front-wheel drive.
The concept's neat and inoffensive styling is unlikely to change much in its transition into a production model. But whereas the concept is an all-wheel drive plug-in hybrid model in which the petrol engine powers the front wheels and an electric motor motivates the rear wheels, the majority of production models will no doubt be powered by a conventional range of petrol and diesel engines driving the front wheels only.
THREE-CYLINDER POWER
We say conventional with some caution, because all the signs are there that they will be powered by BMW's newly announced three-cylinder engine range - which is another leap for BMW.
The 1.5-litre 'three-pot' boasts direct injection and TwinPower turbocharging, with outputs ranging from 90kW to 165kW.
As mentioned, the concept vehicle is a plug-in hybrid in which a version of the aforementioned engine is supplemented by an electric motor that allows the vehicle to drive for up to 30km on battery power alone.
Despite only firing on three cylinders, this concept is no slow poke. With a system output of 140kW, it is said to be capable of running from 0-100km/h in under eight seconds and onto a top speed of about 200km/h.
SPACIOUS CABIN
The Concept Active Tourer is also practical by BMW standards. Measuring 4350mm in length and 1560mm in height, it is slightly longer but quite a bit taller than the 1 Series. Its cab forward design and FWD layout will, however, result in a significant improvement in interior space.
Slipping behind the wheel, the driver will find a full-colour Head-Up Display and a 10.25-inch screen that incorporates all the driving instruments.
An innovation for back seat passengers is the vertical metal track that's integrated in the back of the front seats. This clip-on device allows folding tables that offer a range of convenient adjustment options to be attached and additional storage bags can also be suspended.
What's more, all common models of tablet computer can be fixed to the clip-on track system in either portrait or landscape format and the system even allows for movie-viewing at eye level.