BMW has confirmed that the 2 Series Active Tourer will be discontinued, ending an unusual chapter for the brand as it moves to cut costs and improve profitability. The compact minivan will not receive a third generation, though it will remain on sale until the current model runs its course. Insiders suggest the vehicle will be retired in 2029, although no official date has been set.
The Active Tourer arrived in 2014 as BMW's first front-wheel-drive production car, breaking one of the company's longest-standing engineering traditions. A second generation followed in 2021, but it apparently failed to generate sufficient returns to justify another round of investment. Its departure is the only confirmed casualty so far, but BMW has acknowledged that it is reviewing its portfolio as part of a wider effort to slash costs and improve margins.
That review has left several other models looking vulnerable. The 4 Series Gran Coupe is a strong candidate for the chopping block because it is built in Munich alongside the electric i4, and BMW has spent around €650 million converting that plant into an EV-only facility. From 2027, the factory will produce exclusively fully electric vehicles, including the i3 and M3. The combustion-engined 3 Series is moving to Dingolfing, raising the question of whether the petrol-powered 4 Series Gran Coupe will follow. BMW could move production to Dingolfing, where the Coupe and Convertible are built, but that would require significant effort for a model that already occupies an awkward position in the lineup. The 4 Series Coupe and Convertible are expected to remain until 2029, but the Gran Coupe may not be so fortunate.
The i4 faces a similar problem. It is also built at Munich, and while the plant's EV-only future initially sounded promising for the electric model, the Neue Klasse i3 has arrived as the electric 3 Series and company officials have described it as the de facto replacement. The G26, in both combustion and electric forms, is expected to bow out early next year. BMW has not confirmed the i4's demise, but it fits the profile of a model the company could cut.
The iX is another model that looks increasingly difficult to justify. BMW's original electric flagship SUV launched in 2021, but newer technology has since arrived. The iX5 is already on sale as the fully electric version of the new X5, and an electric X7 is expected in 2027 as the iX7. That leaves the iX sandwiched between two electric versions of established BMW nameplates, both featuring the Neue Klasse look and technology. The iX will remain in production throughout 2027, meaning some customers could still find one in stock in the first half of 2028. BMW has already ended allocations for the United States. Once the iX7 arrives with improvements in a less polarising package, the case for the iX becomes harder to make.
The XM is the wild card. Unlike the other models under scrutiny, it does not have an obvious replacement waiting in the wings. Its problem is that the business case for a second generation looks questionable. BMW has not completely ruled out a successor and is reportedly exploring ways to address the original car's weaknesses, including its design, packaging and comfort. But the company is under pressure to cut low-return models, and the XM's sales numbers are not making a compelling argument. If Munich decides that a future X5 M or X7 M60 is enough of a flagship performance SUV, the XM could end up as a one-generation experiment.
Some models have already gone. The X4 went out of production in late 2025, while the Z4 and 8 Series bowed out earlier this year. Yet BMW is not simply shrinking. The company is preparing a wave of new models, including the iX4, which is due to be unveiled soon, and an i3 Touring that could arrive in 2027. Earlier this week, BMW confirmed a new entry-level EV for Europe in 2028, widely expected to be the rear-wheel-drive i1 hatchback. At the other end of the portfolio, it is evaluating a larger luxury SUV positioned above the X7 for the United States market.
An i4 Convertible prototype has already been spotted testing, suggesting BMW is preparing a two-door i4 Coupe to spread development costs and achieve better economies of scale. With an i1 on the way, the company could also add a sedan version as an electric 2 Series Gran Coupe for a higher return on investment. Unlike the hatch, the sedan would have a better chance of coming to the United States.