BMW releases details of 5-series GT
BMW has unveiled its 5-series Gran Turismo, a car which, like the X6, somewhat defies description.
The company says it is “a car which combines an understated coupé-like silhouette with the luxurious interior of a 7-series, while at the same time giving the functionality of a 5-series Touring or X5″. So there you have it: it’s a hatchback SUV-cum-estate thingy with the leg room of a 7-series and the headroom of an X5.
The tailgate opens two ways, in the manner of the new Skoda Superb, either saloon-style to load small objects, or like a hatchback, with the whole rear section lifting up.
Customers can choose between four seats in Executive specification, or five seats at SE level.
Three-litre V6 turbodiesel and petrol engines and a 4.4-litre petrol V8 are offered, which will sit in models badged 530d, 535i and 550i respectively.
The expected best-seller, the 530d GT, develops 242bhp, 398lb ft of torque, goes from 0-62mph in 6.9 seconds and does 43.5mpg on the Combined cycle, with CO2 emissions of 173g/km.
The model goes on sale in the UK in October, with prices starting at about £40,000.