BMW Concept 5-Series Gran Turismo officially revealed, production model coming in 2010

Everything about the new BMW Concept 5-Series Gran Turismo screams “don’t call me a minivan.” BMW’s usually weird acronym for this vehicle is PAS – which stands for Progressive Activity Sedan. We saw leaked images of the Concept 5-Series GT late last night, but BMW has now revealed all the details along with all the high-res press photos before the car’s Geneva Motor Show debut next month.

The Concept 5-Seires GT, you can say, is probably Chris Bangle’s (now former BMW design head) last legacy at BMW. “This is the most customer-centered car we’ve ever done,” Bangle said at the launch event for the concept. “We discovered a group of BMW buyers we were failing to reach out to at a sales level. We wanted to build a car to suit their everyday needs. There were no preconceived ideas. Everything you see is customer driven.”

Like other BMW concepts, the new Concept 5-Seires Gran Turismo will see very little change when it goes into production. According to Automotive News, the production version of the 5-Seires GT will make its debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show in September and will go on sale in the U.S. sometime in 2010.

Make the jump for more details and the high-res image gallery.

BMW Concept 5-Series Gran Turismo:

   

 

The exterior styling is credited to young BMW designer Christopher Weil (after all he did everything he could to not make it look like a minivan – we’re just kidding). Above the 5-Series Gran Turismo’s waistline (below the waistline is what you should expect to see in the next-generation 5-Series sedan), the coupe-like roofline mimics the X6. But the main exterior innovation is the hatch in the back that opens in two different modes. The first mode allows the owner to open a small rectangular hatch that gives access for easy loading. The second mode is your traditional tailgate lift that offers a large opening for large objects.

 

The inside of the Concept 5-Series Gran Turismo seems production-ready with the center dashboard that seems to be taken right out of the new X6 or X5. Like the X6, the 5-Series GT offers room for only four passengers as the center console stretches all the way back to the rear seats. Loading capacity comes in at 1,650 liters or almost 58 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down.

It is expected that early production 5-Series GT models will offer a choice between a 272-hp naturally aspirated engine and an updated 326-hp 3.0L twin-turbo 6-cylinder in the U.S. Europeans are expected to get a 286 twin-turbo 3.0L 6-cylinder common-rail diesel. Mated to a 6-speed automatic (8-speed automatic may become an option at the time of launch), the 5-Series GT will be initially offered with only rear-wheel-drive. xDrive all-wheel-drive system will be offered as option in the future.

Oh and please don’t expect any V10 ‘M’ versions of the 5-Series GT. It’s probably the first BMW we don’t want to see an ‘M’ version of (Hint to BMW: Mercedes-Benz’s R-Class AMG was a bad idea).

BMW Concept 5-Series Gran Turismo: