BMW is applying a top-and-tail facelift to the 5-series GT later this year. The dumpy crossover has been roundly criticised for its awkward looks, but a smattering of 3-series cues will look to revitalise the slow-selling Gran Turismo.
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The body-in-white won’t change, so we’re stuck with the dumpy proportions of BMW’s niche-busting, high-riding luxury crossover. From this picture snapped by an eagle-eyed CAR photographer on a very recent autobahn run, we can see the 5GT’s refresh will be inspired by the current F30 3-series. The already huge kidney grilles will swell further in size to meet the reshaped headlights, which get new LED details inside. The lower bumper is a new take on the sport ‘M-Sport’ body addenda.
At the rear, there’ll be slimmer taillights and a new, less quared-off rear bumper that’l try and reduce the visual ‘weight’ of the 5GT’s rump. The split-tailgate (half saloon bootlid, part massive hatchback) will remain. The 5-series GT doesn’t get a pop-up spoiler, unlike its smaller 3GT sibling.
Will the BMW 5GT get any new oily bits for the 2014 model year?
It’s not thought BMW will change the engine line-up for the facelifted 5-series GT. The big powertrain news came in late 2012, with the arrival of the entry-level 520d model – until then, all 5GTs had been six-cylinder cars. The four-pot 5GT shaves £9k from the previous 5GT entry price point, and scores the range’s best fuel economy: a claimed 53.3mpg and 139g/km of CO2. The eight-speed auto-only 520d GT hits 62mph in 8.9sec, and costs £39,905.
Expect to see the refreshed 5-series GT on sale in early 2014. Does the new 3-series GT render its big brother irrelevant? Are both cars a niche too far Tell us by clicking ‘Add your comment’ below.