What is it?
The latest version of a car that represents a bit of a commercial disaster for BMW: the 5-series Gran Turismo. This luxury crossover is currently failing to meet sales targets all over the world. In the North American market, pitched as a replacement for the 5-series Touring, it has caused customers to walk away from the BMW brand in droves. And in the UK, the car remains a rarer find than a satisfied public servant.
In an attempt to stir up interest, BMW GB has turned to that reliable old chestnut – an M Sport specification upgrade – for this high-rise four-seater heavyweight. The new edition comes with an aerodynamic bodykit, M Sport suspension settings, some M Sport equipment and trim additions, and – thanks to the 5 GT’s raised ride height – the smallest-looking 19in alloy wheels we’ve come across in quite some time.
What’s it like?
The main conceit of the 5 GT’s positioning remains a broadly convincing one, which falls down ever-so-slightly in the detail. This is a very refined and luxurious car for up to four passengers, with reclining rear chairs that provide as much legroom as a full-sized limousine, and plenty of headroom too. Its raised ride height makes getting in and out that bit easier than it might be, although it does little for visibility.
Meanwhile, that hatchback rear-end provides easy access to the boot, but only when fully opened; the halfway-house chute opening is useful only when loading small items in confined parking spaces. Perhaps most disappointing of all, once the hatchback is open, you’ll find the boot is only averagely accommodating; as big as a middle-sized saloon’s, but no bigger.
Still, the M Sport chassis is well worth the premium. It brings better damping and roll control into the 5 GT’s handling without compromising its quiet, pliant ride.
Our 530d test car had higher grip levels and crisper dynamic responses than the standard car. With ‘Sport’ mode selected on the Drive Performance Control, it was also a more composed backroad machine; still not particularly enticing or engaging to drive, but a more competent car allthesame, with a powerful, efficient and refined six cylinder diesel powertrain.
At this point we’d usually add a caveat about BMW’s optional Adaptive Drive package, without which the 5 GT makes do with passive dampers and conventional anti-roll bars – and in our experience is a much less agreeable car dynamically. But BMW is currently giving away a free specification upgrade with the 5 GT that includes a head-up display, nappa leather, adaptive xenon headlights, soft close doors and Adaptive Drive.
And as long as they continue to do that, this will be a hard car to find significant fault with dynamically. In ‘Comfort’ mode, there’s a gentle, wafting gait to the GT’s primary ride that would do credit to a more traditional stretched limo, as well as excellent low-speed bump absorption. Should you up the pace and get tired of the car’s slightly wallowy body control, stouter damping is just a flick of a toggle switch away. While it’s true that no single mode quite delivers the ideal ‘automatic’ adaptive chassis set-up of, say, a Jaguar XJ or a Range Rover Sport, you can normally find an acceptable setting for most situations with a little experimentation.
Should I buy one?
Loaded with all of that free kit, and fairly effectively combining luxurious rear cabin space and hatchback-derived practicality, the 5-series Gran Turismo has a great deal going for it. Nearly three years after launch, you could say the car has reached maturity. For those who like the idea of a 5-series saloon with a bit extra – but who, for some reason, don’t like the idea of a 5-series Touring – we’d say now’s the time to buy.
But the truth is, that’s probably not much of a target audience. While it may now deserve better, this car is likely to continue to be left on the shelf – by 5-series buyers who just don’t see it as a desirable step up on the model ladder, and by 7-series buyers who aren’t prepared to accept what they see as a ‘trade down’.
BMW 530d GT M-Sport
Price: £48,880; Top speed: 149mph; 0-62mph: 6.9sec; Economy: 43.5mpg; Co2: 173g/km; Kerbweight: 2035kg; Engine type, cc: 6 cyls in line, 2993cc, turbodiesel; Power: 242bhp at 4000rpm; Torque: 398lb ft at 1750-3000rpm; Gearbox: 8-spd automatic
Join the debate
Re: BMW 530d GT M-Sport
This is up there with the Porsche Panamera for the prize of most pointless and ugly car.A waste of resources imo.
Re: BMW 530d GT M-Sport
It's very easy to criticise and redicule. But, at least these manufacturers are out there making money. Existing - with a future. Where are the British marques? Nothing new ever came from England for decades - so, we lost our best marques to the very people we now criticise and redicule.
How pointless is that!?
Re: BMW 530d GT M-Sport
the British motor industry remains a pretty sizeable chunk of the UK economy, not to mention being home to most F1 teams (seven? eight?) and more engine builders and specialist car makers than anywhere else on the entire planet. The fact that British brands are "lost" to foreign owners is about as relevant as the fact the Abu Dhabi Investment Council own The Chrysler Building. In the same way that Jaguar, Bentley, Land Rover and Rolls-Royce mean "British" the Chrysler Building will always mean "American" - and strange as it may seem, foreign ownership doesn't preclude citizens of that nation from passing comment on other people's skyscrapers. Particularly if they're ugly, expensive and seemingly without any point.
Re: BMW 530d GT M-Sport
You're missing my point. Words like 'free fall' and 'pointless' suggest that BMW is doesn't know what they're doing, when, really, they're making money. It just seem a little short sighted to me. If I was a Brittish car maker, I would watch and learn.
Re: BMW 530d GT M-Sport
Not my cup of tea at all, but to be fair it's no more ridiculous than a lot of cars on sale today. Just somehow not as popular. At least the line about the "aerodynamic bodykit" give me a chuckle.
- Let depreciation be your friend...
Re: BMW 530d GT M-Sport
Estate cars like the 5-series Touring are increasingly difficult to sell in the US, a country where obesity takes on epidemic proportions and people are often incapable of bending to get into normal a vehicle. The 4x4 plague can only be explained by this fact since very few 4x4 vehicles are actually used off road.
The 5 GT will be made as long as it creates profits and there is even an 3 GT well on its way. The rationale for building tall vehicles is, apart from adapting to american "tastes", very hazy indeed, but the 5 GT is not the worst example - I´ve heard americans regret that the 5 GT isn´t taller and opted for the X6 instead.
On a more positive note, I think the 4-series Gran Coupé (the F36) will be more to european taste, not being as large as the otherwise beautiful 6-series Gran Coupé.
Re: BMW 530d GT M-Sport
Estate cars like the 5-series Touring are increasingly difficult to sell in the US, a country where obesity takes on epidemic proportions and people are often incapable of bending to get into normal a vehicle. The 4x4 plague can only be explained by this fact since very few 4x4 vehicles are actually used off road.
The 5 GT will be made as long as it creates profits and there is even an 3 GT well on its way. The rationale for building tall vehicles is, apart from adapting to american "tastes", very hazy indeed, but the 5 GT is not the worst example - I´ve heard americans regret that the 5 GT isn´t taller and opted for the X6 instead.
On a more positive note, I think the 4-series Gran Coupé (the F36) will be more to european taste, not being as large as the otherwise beautiful 6-series Gran Coupé.
Well, I remember having read a while ago that BMW of North America CEO Jim O'Donnell said he wished the company hadn't
stopped selling the 5-series wagon in the United States in 2010 replacing it with the 5 GT. I am not an X6 fan but compared to the 5 GT is a awesome car...
The only thing to do with the 5 GT is bin it and I think that's what BMW is going to do.
Re: BMW 530d GT M-Sport
There seems to be lots of iffy BMWs for sale that need adaptive chassis options to stack up. The new 3 and the new 5 are good but but better with adaptive chassis tech. The X5 is competitive but the rest are often ugly and not the best to drive.
Re: BMW 530d GT M-Sport
Instead of being a more traditional sports back based on the saloon chassis, the fact that it is based on the X5 makes it too high, too bulky and generally ungainly. Couple that with the fact it is only a four seater (something which even Audi have now put right with the A5 Sportback), it's target audience is just too narrow.
Come on BMW, scrap this car, create a new sleeker one based on the standard
Teg, it's actually based on a 7 Series platform, not the X5 platform hence the long wheelbase and rear wheel drive rather than 4WD (in the UK, at least).
Re: BMW 530d GT M-Sport
You're missing my point. Words like 'free fall' and 'pointless' suggest that BMW is doesn't know what they're doing, when, really, they're making money. It just seem a little short sighted to me. If I was a Brittish car maker, I would watch and learn.
who said anything about free fall? You're being theatrical, again.
