BMW is developing two new sports tourer concept models which will be based on the 1-Series/3-Series.
The general idea is to get into the MPV game but without the stylistic drawbacks that won't jive with BMW's brand image as a maker of sporty, fun-to-drive cars.
First up is the Compactive Sport Tourer, which would be a four or five-seat hatchback with the comfort features of a compact MPV - high seating position and a roomy cabin - but styled more like a passenger car. Those are all the details we have and there are no early sketches available, so one can only try to imagine what a BMW hatch with a touch of crossover styling will look like.
Next up is the larger wheel-base Advanced Sport Tourer, which aims to offer seven-seat comfort to BMW drivers. Currently, a seven-seat option is only available on the X5 model. This will be a "wagon-oriented" MPV - probably made to take on the likes of the rather successful Ford S-Max which has shown a tendency in market studies towards pinching buyers from premium brands who opt for more space and a better set of options. Imagining a BMW entry into this segment is not easy - perhaps a 3-Series Tourer with some 5-Series GT-like bulk?
No news yet on when we can expect to see these concepts unveiled. It sounds like BMW is still at the very earliest stages of development.
Note: Artist rendering used for illustrative purposes only.
