BMW 5-series Gran Turismo Details Emerge

You saw the leaked production pictures yesterday, and today more details have emerged with regards to BMW's upcoming 5-series GranTurismo 5-door hatchback niche-stuffer.  The 5 GT will be the first of the new-generation 5-series to hit the market, and BMW claims they've created a new niche with this vehicle.  Regardless of the existence of the Saab 9000 5-door hatchback executive luxury saloon 20+ years ago, let's take a look at BMW's latest mid-sized luxury entry to see what it has to offer the consumer.

The 5 GT is set for an official debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show this fall with European market sales to start later in the year, and initially will be available in three trim levels.

The base model will be the 535i Gran Turismo.  Fitted with BMW's now-ubiquitous 3.0L direct-injection twin-sequential turbocharged Inline 6, this model will produced a healthy 306bhp and 295 lb-ft of torque.  Fuel economy is expected to be 31.6mpg (imperial) combined, which isn't too bad for a 300bhp mid-size luxury sedan.  BMW claims it'll do 0-60mph in 6.3 seconds, which is pretty rapid.

For the diesel-lovers, there'll be the 530d Gran Turismo, with BMW's single-turbo 3.0L diesel with common-rail direct injection.  Power output is pegged at 245bhp and 398 lb-ft of torque, and 0-60 comes up in a rather un-dieselly 6.9 seconds.  Overall consumption on this model is an impressive 43.5 imperial MPG, or about 36 mpg combined on the US scale.

And for those wanting a bit more power, there's the top dog 550i Gran Turismo.  This model, powered by BMW's unusual reverse-flow twin-turbocharged V8, makes 407bhp and 447lb-ft of torque.  With all that power, the 5.5 second 0-60 time actually seems a bit conservative, but we'll see.  Overall consumption isn't quite so good at 25.5mpg Imperial, but you can't make an omelette without breaking an egg, as they say.

All of the new 5 Gran Turismo models will use BMW's new 8-speed automatic transmission, which debuted recently in the new 7-series.  I think this is overkill; a vehicle with a broad powerband and 447 lb-ft of torque doesn't really need 8 gears, but it'll help with fuel economy and emissions, which is becoming increasingly important these days.

The Gran Turismo really doesn't differ too heavily from the recently debuted concept version, save for smaller wheels and more realistic interior trim and other minor details.  The impressive thing about the GT is the interior flexibility, which is obviously what BMW is emphasizing on this car.  The rear seats can slide forward and back up to 4", providing more cargo space or more rear passenger space.  BMW claims with the rear seats all the way back, the 5 GT provides legroom comparable to the 7-series and headroom comparable to the X5.  With the rear seats all the way forward, there's 20.7 cubic feet of storage (up from 15.4 with the seats all the way back), and with the seats foward and folded, there's a wagon-like 59.5 cubic feet.  Another neat feature: that rear tailgate is two-piece, opening either as a trunk or as a hatchback depending on what you're putting in the trunk.

Other tech highlights include aluminum-intensive suspension (double control arms front and independent rear), self-leveling rear air suspension, active rear steering, 3-mode variable chassis settings with adaptive dampers and reduced stability control intervention in Sport+ mode (for the hoons?), LED "angel eyes" (curiously, BMW calls them "Corona Rings") driving lights and LED tail lamps, 10.2" LCD display for the thankfully-revamped iDrive, and a all the other techno-geek stuff you'd expect from a modern BMW.

I will say, the interior looks like a drastic improvement over the current 5-series, which I find to be a bit too modern-art and not enough comfort and traditional luxury.  The 5 GT interior looks to be made of top-shelf materials and has a pleasing, clean design to it.  I'll give it a thumbs up at least on asethetic appeal, minus that bizarre mobile-phone shaped shift lever.

US availability of the different powertrains isn't clear yet, but it's thought that the V8-powered 550i GT will make the trip over first, and probably priced somewhere near $70,000.  It remains to be seen how many hatchbacks BMW can sell at that price...  I mean, look how well VW did selling sedans at that price!  These kind of "brave market moves" are of questionable wisdom with the market like it is now.  I mean, the concept makes sense - but I'm not sure how big this will sell.  Unlike the buff-looking X6, the 5 GT is rather soft-looking, so it's harder to get away with the awkward proportions it posesses.  Regardless, with plenty of grace, space, and pace the 5 GT is sure to find some buyers.  But whether this is a made-up-niche too far for BMW remains to be seen.