BMW has given us another car type that we didn't ask for, the 'PAS' or progressive activity sedan! But seeing as it is here, let's take a closer look at the 5 Gran Turismo.
This is a big beast. Looking much like an X6 that has been lowered, the 5GT is a hunk of car. The front-end styling is taken from the all-new 5 Series, while the 5GT sits not on the new 5's chassis but basically the 'under-bits' of a 7 Series.
Europe historically has been more open to large hatchbacks, and as you can see the GTs look will take some getting used to. The BMW's main party trick is the Skoda Superb-like dual action tailgate that can open like a boot or hatchback. While great in theory, sadly the GT's USP is not great to live with. The tailgate is too heavy to operate as a hatchback and as for the boot aperture? I've used larger letterboxes!
Inside, the five-seat 5GT is fantastic. There is more legroom than in the 7 series and the cabin is plush and indulgent. I have buckets of toys to play with. I love the huge dash display screen that houses all the 'iDrive' controlled gadgets like Sat Nav, entertainment etc, but the best 5GT toy is the two tiny cameras mounted ahead of the front wheels that look left and right. When I'm pulling out into traffic or at a tricky junction I can see what is coming to my left and right via a split TV screen on the dash way before I could otherwise. This saves me having to pull out well into harm's way to get vision. Of course, this safety feature is a driving aid and should not be relied on fully, but it is a very good feature that I used more than once or twice to great effect.
On the road the BMW shrinks around you and even the base model has enough performance to embarrass many a hot hatch. The three-litre turbodiesel in my test car has an eight speed automatic gearbox. The 530d can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 6.9 seconds, while delivering an average fuel consumption of 6.5 litres per 100 kilometres travelled - that's very impressive in a car this size. There is even four-wheel steering that comes with the 'Active Steering' option. The 5GT benefits from BMW's 'Efficient Dynamics', so the engine is tuned within an inch of its life and there are loads of energy saving features like brake energy regeneration (BER), active aerodynamics and intelligent energy management, to name but a few.
My test car (SE) has a base price that's under €70,000 but with all the extras fitted weighs in at €95,000! Still, this is a very luxurious car that in the good old days of the Celtic Tiger would have cost another €50,000 easily. I think BMW made a mistake by using the digit 5 in the car's title as that range begins at a relatively modest €40,000.
The 5GT is just like the strange looking BMW X6 in the way that once you get behind the wheel and drive it, you'll fall in love with the experience. Sadly, the tailgate is a poor effort. If you want a car with loads of legroom and a boot that has dual workings get a Skoda Superb for a fraction of the price!
Michael Sheridan
