Active touring with BMW’s new 2 Series Active Tourer

Punta Bulata offered a good photo opportunity for the participants of this road trip.

Asian Carmakers Corp. (ACC), the official importer and distributor of BMW in the Philippines, organized a road trip with some members of the motoring media in Negros Occidental using the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer.

The car was launched   in the market earlier this year.  The event was dubbed the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer Lifestyle Drive 2015, and the first pit stop was held at the Autobahn BMW, the brand’s dealer and the local hosts that helped ACC organize the road trip. After a brief facility tour, the convoy was led to a photo session at a famous tourist spot called The Ruins.

Also known as the Taj Mahal of Negros, The Ruins is not only a very popular tourist spot but it is also a great location for events and wedding receptions.

Built by Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson, the property has been passed on to its current generation of owners by lottery among the clan.

The house was burned down by the Americans during World War II to stop the invading Japanese forces from using it as a garrison. It was never restored back, but due to its excellent masonry work, the whole concrete structure remained intact.

Highly skilled masons used egg white as an additive to the concrete plaster mix to provide it a silky smooth surface which withstood the wear and tear of the harsh Negros weather.

The area served as a picturesque backdrop for the group’s photo opportunities.

The last stop was the Punta Bulata Resort and Spa, which was about three hours away, allowing the convoy participants to test the Active Tourer in various road conditions, including some twisting road trails and a short stretch of dirt road leading to the resort.

Aside from the scenic view offered by the resort, there was an abandoned oil depot that served as another backdrop for photo opportunities.

The BMW convoy made a pit stop at The Ruins of Negros.

Driving BMW’s first-ever front-wheel-drive platform shows the German luxury brand’s openness to go out of its comfort zone in trying new things in the highly competitive and discerning premium automotive market. This is also BMW’s first multipurpose vehicle (MPV) and it comes with a number of innovative features to the BMW enthusiast.

The BMW 2 Series Active Tourer shows the distinctive BMW styling, with its signature double-kidney grille and twin LED headlights and corona rings.

The short overhang in front and rear gives this car a sporty character despite its compact body.

Inside, it has room to comfortably fit five full-size adults, thanks to its front-wheel-drive layout. The 40:20:40 split foldable rear seats offers a highly flexible cargo room when carrying luggage during road trips.

Designed to be driver-centric, the cockpit is driver-angled and the switches are laid out strategically and ergonomically, so it is very intuitive for the driver to operate.

Bacolod’s twisting roads offered participants a good opportunity to test the handling of the BMW Active Tourer.

The Active Tourer also features a robust three-cylinder gasoline engine, which is BMW’s first-ever engine of this sort. With a factory claim of 4.6 liters to every 100 kilometers, it has a carbon dioxide emission rating of 119 g/km.

BMW’s Efficient Dynamics strategy, which has been incorporated in this vehicle, allows a smaller engine to offer a driving experience and performance one can only expect from a BMW.

With only 1.5 liters  displacement, it is the BMW TwinPower Turbo that gives the Active Tourer its optimal performance and efficiency. Its efficient steptronic transmission is engineered to match the new front-wheel-drive system and lower friction losses.

The Driver Experience Control switch allows various drive settings—from Eco Pro, Sport or Comfort—to suit any driving situation.

To know more about the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, visit any of BMW’s dealership or log on to www.bmw.com.ph.