Liz Dobson - BMW 2 Series Active Tourer

There’s one car segment that’s going to be hot this summer in New Zealand - and it’s not convertibles.

Instead it’s compact crossovers – those wannabe SUVs that buyers love due to the high driver position and the amp headroom and boot space.

These vehicles, that also include two-wheel-drive SUVs and offroaders, make up 33 per cent of the new car market.

Most manufacturers have a version of it – from Japan to Korea, and lots of offering from European brands – with prices from late $20,000 to late $60,000 for top spec models.

BMW is joining the club with a vehicle that moves away from its famous four cylinder, rear wheel drive or all-wheel-drive vehicles, and is aimed squarely at families.

Called BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, the vehicles uses a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder engine that can found it the new Mini Cooper and the company’s stunning electric i8 sportscar.

BMW launched the Active Tourer at the Austrian ski resort of Solden, chosen as it was the "holiday region of future customers who will be active, and enjoy hill walks, climbing and skiing," said BMW's launch manager Stefan Karch at the international press conference I attended.

The company expects "40 to 50 per cent of customers to be in Europe with China taking 10 to 15 per cent of the product".

Set to arrive in New Zealand in November, the front-wheel drive will be available here in two variants.

The 1.5-litre petrol paired with a six-speed automatic will be priced from $51,900.?The three-cylinder engine produces 100kW of power and 220Nm of torque.

The diesel will be priced at $62,900 and powered by a four-cylinder 2-litre engine producing 110kW and 330Nm, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

BMW New Zealand spokesman Edward Finn told me at the Austria launch that the company was expecting "70 per cent conquest rate" from such brands as the Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5.

"For $5000 more than a top-end Japanese SUV you can get a premium vehicle from BMW," he said.

The Active Tourer's closest European rivals are the Peugeot 3008, Volkswagen's Tiguan and Mercedes-Benz B-Class.

There were only two models available at the Austria launch - the 2-litre diesel, paired with a six-speed manual (the transmission will not be available in New Zealand), and the eight-speed auto with the 2.5-litre petrol model that Australia is taking.

The vehicles will also be available in New Zealand with Sport and Luxury Line packages costing $1760 and $3000-$3500 respectively.

Options include 18in alloys over standard 17in, electric sports seats and the $3500 Navigation Plus package that has a personal favourite - Heads Up Display, with speed and directions reflected on to a retractable plastic screen set in front of the front window.
The people mover-esque vehicle is 4.342m long, 1.8m wide and 1.555m high with a 2.670m wheelbase.

The extra interior space is used to its advantage - providing the driver with a cockpit style area; adding 40:20:40 sliding rear seats and a large boot with a hidden space under it for extra storage.

The headspace and legroom in front and back is impressive, especially if you add a panoramic sunroof ($3000).

The cabin is notably quiet - even when navigating the pitted bitumen country roads between Solden and Innsbruck - and the layout of the dash is clean despite the 6.8in control display screen sitting on top of it rather than in it, a personal preference.

The exterior is obviously BMW, with the kidney grille dominating the front of the vehicle and a large rear bumper giving it a SUV-style appearance.

A newly developed chassis comprising of a single-joint spring strut axle and a multi-link rear axle aims to give dynamic driving and precision steering.

That was tested on the roads of Austria - first the 130km/h speed limit autobahn out of Innsbruck, then the secondary roads, before climbing up to the alpine area.

The car has two driving modes, eco pro or sport, with a toggle used to engage either. ?With a solid steering wheel and firm steering in eco pro mode, the Active Tourer holds the road firmly though when put into corners at pace there is feedback into the steering.

Put the car into sport mode and it perks up, with the chassis responding to the more energetic ride.

The New Zealand-bound diesel engine is suitably quiet and provides plenty of pep.

Style-wise it's a good looking vehicle that would make an impression sitting in front of a school ready for picking up the offspring or grandkids.