When BMW first announced its newest “experiment”, the 5 Series GT (or how they like to call it Grand Turismo), I was among the many who were shocked by its ugliness. Still, considering the fact that I also said that about the X6, who managed to find a place in my heart after I drove it, I was keen to drive the 5 GT and see what’s what before finally reaching a verdict. The first aspect that pops out when you glance at the 5 GT is its size. It’s really huge. The 7 Series seems like a small sedan besides this behemoth, whose snout is almost as large enough as a small city car. As such, you really have a newfound respect for BMW’s creation, even before you actually get it. But let’s get on with this review and see if the 5 GT is actually something you might like.
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Post tags: Tags: BMW, bmw 5 series gran turismo, bmw 5 series gt, bmw-5-series
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When BMW first announced its newest “experiment”, the 5 Series GT (or how they like to call it Grand Turismo), I was among the many who were shocked by its ugliness. Still, considering the fact that I also said that about the X6, who managed to find a place in my heart after I drove it, I was keen to drive the 5 GT and see what’s what before finally reaching a verdict. The first aspect that pops out when you glance at the 5 GT is its size. It’s really huge. The 7 Series seems like a small sedan besides this behemoth, whose snout is almost as large enough as a small city car. As such, you really have a newfound respect for BMW’s creation, even before you actually get it. But let’s get on with this review and see if the 5 GT is actually something you might like.
Exterior
Like I said above, when you first see it, you’re bound to get intimidated by its size. I know I’m repeating myself but it’s THAT big. Even Bobby’s Mercedes-Benz GLK seems like a compact hatchback besides the 5 GT. From the front, the car looks a lot like the CS Concept BMW showcased some time ago. It’s imposing, sporty, aggressive … in a word, superb. Not to mention the frameless doors, which are really a nice sporty and elegant touch. I was actually thinking that if the next 6 Series will borrow cues from this car, it’s going to be a big hit. But while the front end is mighty impressive, the rear of the BMW 5 GT is what sparked so much controversy. The first time you see it, it’s actually a bit scary. You can’t actually figure out what the designers intended to do or how much they drank when they sketched it out. One thing’s for sure, the result is a bit awkward. The huge taillights (you don’t really notice until night time) also don’t really help the whole rear ensemble. The biggest problem with the exterior is that, unlike other cars, after four days it still didn’t grow on me.
The niche of the car is also a bit ambiguous, with BMW saying it has the exterior dimensions of the 7 Series and the interior space of an X5. The company also explains that it is targeted at people who can afford either of the aforementioned vehicles, but, for some bizarre reason, don’t want to drive them, and opt for something a bit more inconspicuous. But no matter how much camouflage the Bavarians could have thrown onto the 5 GT, the car is bound to attract attention. Also, as a fun fact, it can even be mistaken for an X6, which attracted even more controversy. The main idea, though, is that the four door elongated coupe look (some might say even shooting break/brake) that sorta kinda worked on the X6 doesn’t really fit the 5 GT.
Interior
If you’re a bit confused about the exterior, on the inside everything’s crystal clear: It’s identical (albeit with slight differences) with the 7 Series. Check this and this photos…besides the different shape of the dash, do you see any other differences? (the central display of the GT is smaller because it didn’t have navigation). But, of course, this isn’t a bad thing. Who wouldn’t like a 7 Series for the price of a 5er? Adaptive drive, heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, full active steering, soft-close doors (meaning you don’t have to brake your arms closing the doors), a superb panoramic roof, parking sensors (no camera, sadly), LED angel-eyes headlamps and…wait for it…cup-holders!
Needless to say the interior is top notch, as expected from BMW. The seats are extremely comfortable and with like 10 different adjustment options, can be configured just the way you like them. The steering wheel is very ergonomic with the controls set around your thumbs, the iDrive is impressive and the audio system is just how it should be. I also liked the fact that there were two separate seats in the back (with a central console between them), even though others didn’t really see the point.
The boot opens in two modes, just the trunk or the whole hatchback, and features enough space for any type of hauling (like a wise man once said: “You can put three bodies in there”). A few nets or cords to secure small luggage would have been nice, as they’re bound to move from side to side if there isn’t anything else in the boot. The rear seats can be folded, fully automatic thanks to a set of controls, so you don’t have to push or pull anything. The increased space can actually be used for camping if sitting on the grass isn’t your cup of tea.
On the road
At one point, somebody asked me, really curious, if I think it’s underpowered. At first, when I heard I was going to drive the 530d variant, I wasn’t too pleased, thinking the small diesel can’t properly power the small Panzer. Well, it’s not like that, but it’s not mind blowing either. It’s right in between, leaning a bit towards the power side. The 3-liter turbo develops 245 HP which, even though the car is quite heavy, are enough for a casual drive and even a sportier one, from time to time. You can’t really compare it to the 330d I drove last year, which really impressed, but won’t disappoint. The fuel average was around 22.1 mpg (10.6 liters/100 km), over a distance of 745 miles (1,200 km), more than acceptable for such a car. The 0 to 62 mph time is 6.9 seconds while the top speed is 149 mph (at around 105-110 mph it already starts to loose its steam).
An interesting thing about this BMW 5 GT is the Adaptive Drive technology. You have four modes (Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport+) which you can select (a bit too easily, some might say), which dictate the response of the steering, suspension, throttle and the gearbox ratios. In Comfort you’ll feel just like in a boat: you don’t care what happens beneath you, you can drive over tram lines at any speed and you won’t even feel the slight sway that can get you to fall asleep. It’s a pretty Zen experience, unless you take on fast turns, when the roll of the Comfort-enabled car doesn’t make you feel too safe. For those situations, you have the Sport and Sport+ modes, which unleash the fun. Of course, if you’re using the Sport+, which turns off almost all of the driver aids and you make a mistake, you’re in for some trouble. But if you’re skilled enough though, you can even force the 5 GT behemoth in a few power slides or donuts (not that we’ve tried, honest!).
As I’ve said, the car handles pretty good, but the only big drawback comes from its large booty, which makes it a pain in the arse to park. The sensors do help you a bit, but a camera would’ve been much nicer.
Overall
Even though we can’t really say for sure where the car sits (it’s a Grand Tourer, a sports limousine, an SAV), if you rest your mind and just enjoy the car, the BMW 5 Series GT won’t disappoint. Depending on you mood, the car can become a rolling yacht or a sporty “little” model. The interior is impeccable, both as space and functionality and the faces of fellow drivers when they see the car are actually priceless.
In terms of price, the 530d GT starts at €47,350, no taxes (€56,347 with VAT). The car we had, which boasted almost everything except satellite navigation, cost €63,882 without taxes and around €76,000 with VAT. A lot? Too little? For a car which wears the 5 Series name tag it may seem a lot, but considering you get a cross between a 7 Series and an X5, it’s worth it. Plus, considering the fact that other German rivals are working on their own variants on this design, like the Audi A7 or the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Break, it seems BMW is onto something big again, not that we’re surprised.
We liked:
- the aggressive front end
- the flawless interior
- the great panoramic roof
- the comfy handling
- the fuel average
We didn’t like:
- the funky back
- no rear camera aka a pain to park.
BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo specifications:
Weight: 2,035 kg (4,486 pounds)
Engine: 3-liter six-cylinders, max power output of 180 kW (245 HP) and 540 Nm max torque.
Performance: 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.9 seconds and top speed of 240 km/h (150 mph)
Fuel consumption (city/highway/combined, official figures): 29/42/36.1 (US MPG) or 8,1/5,6/6,5 (liters per 100 km).
As always, big thanks to Alex Seremet from BMW Romania!
Click for the full gallery: BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo
Post tags: Tags: BMW, bmw 5 series gran turismo, bmw-5-series
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Lately we’ve been hearing a lot about the ‘newest’ automotive fad: shooting brake or break designs.
From elaborate concepts, like the Mercedes-Benz Concept Fascination or the recent Shooting Break, to real-life applications like the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, this new hatchback coupe combination is taking the auto world by storm.
But before designers around the world hailed it as the second coming, the term had a more antiquated definition and was used for simpler activities.
Curious to learn just what the shooting brake or break terms mean? Then hit the jump and find out.
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Post tags: Tags: BMW, bmw 5 series gran turismo, bmw 5 series gt, design, details, mercedes benz concept fascination, shooting brake, shooting break
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BMW is still quite confident in its 5 Series Gran Turismo (GT) model, and has just announced that it will be adding its xDrive all-wheel drive system to the crossover-ish model.
The new technology will be on display at the upcoming Beijing Motor Show and will slowly appear in all of the major markets, including Asia, Europe and North America. The first versions that will be getting AWD will be the 550i and the 530d GT editions, this June.
After that, BMW will also throw xDrive in the 535i and the 535d version of its 5 Series Gran Turismo in September, this year. While it’s at it, the company also said that xDrive is going to appear for the 740d 7 Series by the end of the year.
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Post tags: Tags: BMW, bmw 5 series gran turismo, bmw 5 series gt, bmw-5-series, xdrive
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When BMW announced the 5 Series Gran Turismo hatchback model, it’s safe to say that two kinds of reactions appeared, you either loved the funky, almost complete hatchback styling, or you hated the hunchback nature of the 5 GT.
Still, while the automotive press and BMW fans are still making up their minds, two of the largest rivals for the Bavarian company, Lexus and Infiniti, voiced their own views on the new niche created by BMW.
Dave Nordstrom, Lexus’ vice president of marketing, revealed that: “We don’t have any plans for it right now. We have not seen the demand from our customers – but we continue to look at it.” Infiniti’s Ben Poore said that while “What [we are] seeing is a much stronger preference (among consumers) for a trunk,” his company isn’t committed to following BMW’s footsteps.
While at first we weren’t really attracted to the 5 GT, we had a chance to test drive one recently, and we have to say that the big model does have a lot of attributes. Look forward to the test drive soon enough.
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Post tags: Tags: BMW, bmw 5 series gran turismo, bmw 5 series gt, bmw-5-series, Infiniti, Lexus
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The Detroit Auto Show will be host to quite a lot of interesting cars, concepts and announcements. For North American BMW fans, it will also bring new and more efficient six-cylinder engines for the 5 and 7 Series. While we already covered the one for the flagship limousine, the Bavarian company has now revealed more details about the new 535i Gran Turismo.
The odd cross between a hatchback and a sedan will benefit, besides the standard 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 which is already available on the market, from a new 3.0-liter twin-turbo in-line six unit, which is capable of 300 HP and 300 lb-ft of torque.
The new engine is also fitted with an array of technologies to make it more efficient, like the Valvetronic, and will also be coupled with a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox, the same one used on the 550i or the ActiveHybrid 7 Series.
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Post tags: Tags: BMW, bmw 5 series gran turismo, bmw-5-series, detroit-auto-show, gmw 535i gt
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