Feb 13: BMW's new van

A new BMW van? A BMW van period is a rather unusual concept, as this company has not been into that part of the market or anywhere close to it. And no, this pic is not that van. This is the copycat front end of the Chinese New Brilliance, a vehicle not coming anytime soon to a North American dealer near you. And no, also to this concept BMW van that was floated recently by an independent design house......

Ok, enough of what BMW's van isn't, let's actually see what it is.........

This is the just announced 2 Series Gran Tourer. Personally this intro got me just a bit confused, since I was expecting the 2 Series Active Tourer to be coming our way. You remember the Active Tourer, don't you? A neat looking little vehicle, that seemed to be competition for the Mercedes B250. This concept made the auto show rounds last year........

......and then it morphed into the real deal, but we have yet to see it on this side of the Atlantic. Trouble with the Active Tourer was that, it only seated five close friends. Hardly a people mover at all. You can see from this pic, that many a disappointed owner was left wondering, who was going to be left at home or in this case, at the bar?

Open every door and you still only have room for five. What to do? Surely this is the answer to a question that, few people were asking. But, hey, BMW has answered that question before with cars (or whatever) like their X6. No reason to stop now. So square up that back end, lengthen it a trifle and add a couple of more seats and announce their brand new 2 Series Gran Tourer......

.....their first van. And no doubt this little gem will handle like a BMW should. Don't you love tradition?

Pricing? Good question. Probably in the low $30k's to start, easing up to about mid $40's with a few well selected options. Hey, it's a BMW, so don't don't expect to pay Mazda5 prices. And when some stranger asks what you drive, just say a BMW and walk away. Let them figure out whether it's a Gran Tourer or a 7 series. Being specific is way too gauche for a person of your stature.

So there you have it. Active or Gran Tourer? Have lots of friends or a select few? Either way, that old Bavarian power house has just the car for you. But for the time being, you'll have to move to Europe to buy one!

Until next time........