BMW shows off 5 Series Gran Turismo Concept

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed)
Feb 15th 2009 at 10:02AM

BMW has made a habit these last few years of creating new niches in the already crowded luxury automotive segment. Things started to get convoluted when the Bavarian automaker began referring to its SUVs as Sports Activity Vehicles, and it only got worse with the introduction of the slantback X6 crossover, which BMW calls a Sports Activity Coupe. Now, the company is planning to further carve that market into smaller chunks with the 5 Series Gran Turismo Concept that it's calling a Progressive Activity Sedan. The new concept is scheduled to make its first public appearance at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

The new 5 GT uses a shape that's familiar to anyone that's gotten a good look at the X6, but the new car is much lower to the ground and has no pretensions of being anything but a people mover with style. There's room for four passengers in the new concept, who will each get their own adjustable bucket seat flanked by a center console that runs the length of the interior compartment. Out back, there's up to 58 cubic feet of storage for those moments when moving large quantities of stuff is more important than personal space. Expect a production version of the GT to make an appearance in short order.

Gallery: BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo Concept