"Editors at TheCarConnection.com have prepared this profile of the 2010 BMW 5-Series prior to test-driving the vehicle. Experts from TheCarConnection.com have added comparison information and insights where possible, and will update this preview of the BMW 5-Series when editors have the opportunity to drive the vehicle.
For the 2009 Geneva Motor Show in March, BMW has a new concept car, and a new idea for its 5-Series Range. The 5-Series GT Concept takes the next-generation 5er in a new direction--with some wagon attributes, some SUV utility, and some sleek fastback cues.
The 2010 BMW 5-Series lineup is expected to include a vehicle like the GT Concept, and BMW says this car is styled with production in mind.
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...read more 196.8 inches long, with a wheelbase of 120.9 inches, the new 5-Series GT sits between the new 2009 BMW 7-Series and the company's lineup of X6 and X5 utility vehicles in overall size. Stretched on that long wheelbase is an elegant fastback shape, with what BMW says is a coupe-like profile. In passing, it shares some cues with recent Mazda hatchbacks and the Infiniti M sedans, but with traditional BMW cues like the twin-grille nose and the "Hoffmeister kink" that links its rear pillar to the car's rear quarters. The frameless doors are a first for a BMW four-door sedan. Inside, the concept shares the black-panel functionality found in the new 7-Series, and also its iDrive controller. The concept is slathered in white leather and copper-colored trim to match the concept's exterior color. It's a big departure from BMW's traditionally dark interiors. Ceramic and wood trim lend more rich detail to the GT.
The evocative shape wraps around a flexible interior, with a slightly elevated seating position and a second-row seat that offers up some of the flexibility of crossover vehicles. The cabin dimensions are roughly as large as the X5, and the GT Concept's back seat moves fore and aft on a track up to 4 inches, as passenger and cargo needs change. In the rearmost position, the GT Concept has as much rear-seat leg room as the 2009 7-Series, with 15.1 cubic feet of space for luggage. With the seat far forward, luggage space moves to 20 cubic feet. The back seats also fold out of the way for 58 cubic feet of stow space, and can fold individually for split cargo/passenger room.
Amping up the 5-Series GT's usability is a bi-fold tailgate and a low loading height for cargo. The tailgate opens as a conventional trunklid or as a large hatch.
BMW has released no information on powertrains in the new 5-Series GT Concept. No safety equipment or features have been released, either. TheCarConnection.com will update this preview as more information on the 2010 5-Series is released."hide
The Bottom Line
"The 2010 BMW 5-Series should arrive in real-world form later this year, but the handsome GT Concept is a good indication of a stylish future."
Read the full review
Buying Tips
BMW has styled and detailed this new GT Concept in advance of the launch of the brand-new 2010 BMW 5-Series. More details on the next-generation car are yet to come.
