First Look:
There are some things whose looks make you ponder on their existence, and raise the questions like What Is It? Who is it for? And many other such questions. If you don’t believe us, have a look at certain animals like platypus, or the double-humped camel, now don’t they make you ask those questions, we bet, they did. The same is the case with the 2011 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, you look at this car and the only thing you ask is what is it? Who is it for?
Despite having a sloping fastback roofline the 2011 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo certainly is not a wagon and the simple reason for that being the fact that it doesn’t have the cargo space that generally the wagons have and even doesn’t have the squared-off roof. It certainly is not an SUV, because it doesn’t have adequate cargo and passenger capacities. So, it’s not a wagon, it’s not a SUV, so what it is? We say it’s a cross between a wagon and a SUV. Or to make it even clearer for you we say that it’s just a huge luxurious hatchback. We imagine that BMW expects to grab the attention of luxury sport sedan owners who wants something sporty, but at the same time that are looking for improved cargo capacity.
Even scrutinizing the specification chart will not do a lot of good to you and wont tell you the bloodlines of the 5 GT. The 2011 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo that is around two inches taller than a 5 Series sedan, but at the same time is around 4 inches lower than the X5 crossover SUV. Even the name of this Bummer is murky. BMW is calling it the “5 Series” GT, but in fact it makes use of many of the 7 Series Chassis components, and at the same time offers cabin that is as spacious as the flagship sedan. But sadly, the GT neither offers the luxurious ride of the 7 series, and neither does it offer the sharp handling of 5 Series sedan.
The dual-mode hatchback feature of the 2011 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo is its distinguishing feature and we think is pretty cool, as well. You can open only the lower part or can lift the entire hatch upward. If you want extra additional space, then you simply can fold down the rear seats, and that will give you cargo space of extra 60 cubic feet, which is comparatively less than most of the compact crossovers but its four times the trunk space that you in a 5 Series sedan. The 5 Series Gran Turismo comes with engine choices including turbocharged inline-6 and V8 twin-turbo, and ensures impressive performance for the car and the optional all-wheel drive (xDrive) offers steady footing in stormy weather.
The best way to describe the 2011 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo is to say that the car is “a niche unto itself”, at least we don’t see the Audi A7 debuting next year. If this niche becomes popular among the customers we don’t see a reason why the Gran Turismo wont do well. But as for most of the people, you’re better served by conventional wagons such as the Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon or Audi A6 Avant, or crossover SUV like the BMW’s very own X5 or Acura MDX.
What’s New for 2011 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo?
The 2011 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo gets an all-wheel-drive version (“xDrive”) as optional equipment for the 535i trim level.
Body Styling and Features:
The 2011 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo comes in a single body style of a 5-seater luxury sedan having a huge, fastback-style rear hatch, which can be opened just as a conventional trunk or as a big tailgate. The 5 Series Gran Turismo comes in two trim levels: 535i and 550i. Both the trim levels correspond to the two engine choices for the vehicle.
The standard features for the 2011 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo’s 535i trim includes the likes of 18 in alloy wheels, heated external mirrors, adaptive xenon headlights, rear and front parking sensors, a panoramic sunroof, wood interior trim, driver memory settings, rain-sensing wipers, complete power accessories, leather upholstery, 10-way power front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, reclining and sliding rear seats.
There also are some advanced standard equipments available here as well, the list of the modern standard equipments in the car includes the likes of BMW’s iDrive electronics interface, Bluetooth and a twelve speaker sound system having an auxiliary audio jack and MP3/CD player. Apart from the upgrade to the V8 engine the 550i trim of the 5 Series Gran Turismo comes with real-time traffic, voice recognition and auto-dimming mirrors.
Mostly the 2011 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo is offered in packages so as to offer some other advanced features to the intended customers. The Sport Package of Gran Turismo comes loaded with equipments such as 19 in or 20 inch alloy wheels having performance tires (available only for 550i only), a sport steering wheel and multi-contour front seats. Go for the Dynamic Handling package and you could get equipments such as an adaptive suspension. The Driver Assistance package of the 2011 BMW 5 Series Turismo includes lane-departure warning, a blind-spot monitoring system and automatic high beams.
The Premium Sound package brings iPod/USB integration and a 16 speaker surround-sound audio system. The Convenience package will get you a power liftgate, keyless entry/ignition and soft-close doors.
You can also get a lot of stand-alone options as well, and these stand-alone options includes a lot of aforementioned items, in addition to a head-up display, 4-wheel active steering, navigation for the 535i, adaptive cruise control, top- and side-view cameras, a rearview camera, a ski bag, advanced Bluetooth phone connectivity, a rear-seat DVD entertainment system, satellite radio and night vision having pedestrian detection.
Under The Hood:
The power for the 2011 BMW 535i Gran Turismo comes from a 3.0 ltr turbocharged inline 6-cylinder engine, which generates maximum power of 300 bhp and 300 lbs-ft of maximum torque. The 2011 BMW 550i Gran Turismo on the other hand gets power from a 4.4 ltr V8 twin-turbo engine generating maximum power of 400 bhp and 450 lb-ft of utmost torque. The engine here is mated with an 8-speed automatic transmission having manual shift control, and that is the only transmission available here. The standard drive here is rear-wheel, but customers can also go for the xDrive models having all-wheel drive.
In our performance testing the 550i GT sprinted from 0 to 60 mph in a quick 5.4 secs. We expect the 535i to be a tad slower than that. The estimated fuel economy for the car is of impressive 20 mpg in city and 30 mpg on highways, which comes to a combined fuel efficiency of 24 mpg. The 550i on the other hand is rated at 15 mpg in city and 22 mpg on highways which comes to a combined fuel efficiency of 18 mpg. The xDrive models is expected to delivers around 1 or 2 mpg less.
Safety Equipments:
The standard safety equipments for the 2011 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo includes antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, side curtain airbags, front-seat side airbags and active front head restraints. The brakes for the 5 Series Turismo includes brake fade compensation, brake-drying functions and hill-hold. The optional safety features for the GT includes head-up display, blind-spot detection, automatic high beams, lane-departure warning, side-view and rearview cameras and night vision having pedestrian detection.
Verdict:
The 2011 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo enters into a niche somewhere in between a crossover and a wagon.
