Imports of BMW's five-seat Active Tourer and seven-seat Gran Tourer have been axed despite the announcement of midlife facelifts for the two models in Europe.
BMW Thailand has stopped selling the 2-series Active Tourer and Gran Tourer because of a tepid reception from Thai luxury car buyers.
The two multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) were created three years ago to tempt consumers needing something more versatile than a sedan.
Sources at the Thai BMW office said most people in the country with over 2 million baht to spare on a luxury nameplate would usually settle for a sedan or SUV.
This is why BMW has concentrated on selling the 3-series sedan and X1 SUV in locally built forms. Both 2-series models were imported in the early years and thus didn't really pose a big business risk.
Arch rival Mercedes-Benz once sold the B-class in Thailand and suffered a similar fate because customers were mostly drawn to the similarly priced C-class and CLA sedans, as well as the GLA SUV. The B-class is no longer in Thai showrooms.
Only in their first-generation models, the 2-series Active Tourer and Gran Tourer have only reached midlife. But in Europe this week, BMW announced mandatory updates for both models.
Apart from obligatory exterior design tweaks, the two 2-series models are now available with seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions. An eight-speed torque-converter auto transmission is still featured in other models.
This strategy is reflective of the one used by Mini, which revealed these two transmission types can be found in its hatch and convertible configurations. Thai sales are set to start in the coming months.
The 2-series MPVs and Minis share the same UKL platform accommodating transversely laid-out petrol and diesel engines, as well as transmissions. In addition, the 2-series Active Tourer and Mini Countryman also pool bits in plug-in hybrid forms, both of which have never gone on sale in Thailand despite government promotions for electric vehicles.
