BMW’s first ever front-wheel-drive production car, the 2-Series Active Tourer MPV, won’t be available in the U.S. for at least 15 months. The car made its debut at the Geneva Auto Show and will go on sale in Europe in October. So why is there such a big delay for the U.S. launch?
Well, in its defense, BMW says the car was designed primarily for Europe, and the United States isn’t exactly crazy about five-door hatchbacks and MPVs, despite the 2-Series Active Tourer versatility. Furthermore, U.S. customers seeking practical cars can choose one of BMW’s crossovers.
“You have a lot of space and wide streets, and the X cars are much more useful,” Frank Niederlaender, BMW’s vice president of product management for lower-series cars, was quoted as saying by Automotive News. That’s because BMW’s crossovers are longer, taller, wider and roomier than the 2-Series Active Tourer.
The latter is about the same size as the Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive that goes on sale in the U.S. in June. In a similar move, Mercedes decided the B-Class could only sell in the U.S. as a niche electric car.
BMW won’t even bother bringing the 2-Series Active Tourer to the New York Auto Show next month, instead debuting the X4 crossover. So here’s a question for our U.S.-based readers: would you consider buying the 2-Series Active Tourer if it was available in the country?
By Dan Mihalascu
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