X6 is all well and good, so is the 7-series and so did 5-series Touring. BMW confirms, though, that if you create a triangle of three cars, cars that fill the space in the middle would be perfect for a lost generation of potential buyers who want some of each car, but not all.
So Gran Turismo 5-series was built specifically for them and mopping, BMW evangelistically claims, to create a new market segment entirely new - something that the car industry is not managed since the Renault Scenic.
So BMW had a big claim on the back of this car, but it does not offer 7-series front and rear leg space, luxury and entertainment features, and space X5 head, trunk space and cracking monster new engine and gearbox technology.
specifications of the BMW 5-Series GT
How does it feel?
All of evangelism that can change you from the car even before you drive, but it would be a mistake with this car.
For starters, there's technology. It has the latest generation 3.0-liter diesel, which is expected to outsell comfortable GT 535i in Europe. Worthy also, because it has the power 241bhp at 4000rpm and 398 pounds feet of torque from 1750 to 3000rpm.
This will help that it was the cheapest of Gran Turismo, but also the best of many GT's engine.
But when it's not the fastest, he never really feels like. side-by-side we show the cost of consistent 535i pulls away, even in the rolling sprint in-tooth, but never condescending 530d version because current is charged through eight teeth, swapping seamlessly regardless of whether new transmission is brilliant in the company's most tender or sportiest setting .
BMW claims will attract a combined cycle of 43.5mpg on the EU, but we're not approaching it. In fact, we halved it comfortably without trying and, with only a 70-liter tank, the GT might stop to refuel more than we wanted.
separate tank a short distance, it will be a good legendarily car. The engine idles at 700rpm, and at 62mph it was just ticking over 1350rpm. At 80mph it's just pulling 1700 revs - which is not even in the peak torque has not - and at 124mph it was still only around 2200rpm. Relax? You bet.
If the driveline is comfortable, the cabin's rear, and then some. This will be a tank to stop dictating you, not your back. Brilliant seats, with soft padding and support a strong start under it - and this applies to all four of them (the bench seat, with tight middle seat while, in fact the standard).
Almost better in the rear as well. It sits in exactly the same wheelbase (and song) as a series of 7 -, so there's plenty of room, but it was good work. Design the dashboard and the front door a beautiful flowing backward, in which the front and rear seats adjust individually and so did their backrests. And BMW has rediscovered the joy of the remaining storage space in the cabin.
BMW makes a lot of the rear hatch, which has a small hole that does not crack and large passenger bulkhead that is not, but what is important is that the space is very flexible, up to 1700 liters with the rear seats folded down.
All it will mean nothing if not well casing is amazing. At 1960kg, 530d GT has every reason to be a floppy mess. Not.
Dynamic Drive Control, which tweaks the gearbox, throttle and steering map and dampers, are standards and ranges from the Comfort Sport + program. Forget extreme (too mired Comfort & Sport + too aggressive on the bump) and stored it in the Normal and Sports and you'll find a great chassis hiding here.
This is balanced, it was never resolved, was quiet, ride quality is brilliant and there is peace so much that it is difficult to imagine how you ever throw another one, apart from falling asleep in it.
Its only flaw visible - and, even when it is enlarged beyond all proportion by the quality of everything else it does not - is tapped from the rear suspension noise as air springs which push back the broken shaft, square-edged holes. It's like that, we are told, because the spring rate has been set for the car is running at maximum load, which is 600kg heavier than the bands.
