BMW has aggressively been expanding their line up these past few years. It’s not easy identifying a new niche in a old market but they successfully did so with their X6 and now this, the Progressive Activity Sedan (PAS), though its clear that the inspiration came from the success of the Mercedes CLS. Details about the concept have been relatively scarce but the wait will soon be over as the car is set to make its world debut at next year’s Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
The car was kept relatively low profile and the spy shots that did emerge show the car will pick up many of its design lines from the X6. Expected to be available in both RWD and AWD lay out, the new PAS will only be a four seater with individual bucket seats featuring full heating and massage functions. Don’t let the Progressive Activity Sedan name fool you, the car is by no means a sedan. It appears to be more of an estate or hatchback, with a split-gate rear portal instead of a rear deck and boot-lid design, reports AutoTelegraf. These renderings show how the final product is expected to look like.
Just as they did with the X6, BMW is once again expected to stress on the car’s coupe like characteristics. Expect to see extremely short overhangs, flared fenders and optional 21in wheels. The wheelbase will be slightly over 3 meters with an overall length of at least 4.90m, this effectively makes the PAS larger than the X6. That also appropriately positions the car between the existing 5 and 7 series. Just like how the Mercedes CLS falls in between the E and S-Class.
The engine line up is expected to include four different engines as well as the latest EfficientDynamics technology and possibly a hybrid option. The engine line up includes a 245hp 3-liter turbodiesel, followed by a 300hp 3-liter twin turbo six cylinder engine that will be offered in both diesel and petrol. And of course, the range topper will be a new 408hp 4-liter diesel V8 with 600Nm of torque!
During an interview last year, BMW exec Klaus Draeger said a second PAS could be built if the first model proves successful. Draeger also confirmed the name of the new range would start with the letter ‘V’ in the same way that the letter ‘Z’ is reserved for sports models and ‘X’ for the SUV range.
