BMW 530d Gran Turismo tested, not coming to America
BMW will be showing the production version of the 5-series Gran Turismo next week in Frankfurt and we'll have driving impressions coming in the next few weeks on Autoblog. The folks at AutoCar in the UK however, have already had an opportunity at the wheel of a GT that we won't be getting when the car goes on sale here later this year. The 530d Gran Turismo is powered by 241 hp variant of BMW's 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder diesel similar to the engine available here in the 335d and X5 35d.
In Europe, the 530d GT is expected to be the top selling variant of the new body style and, like other cars powered by this engine, it should get excellent fuel economy while still delivering the performance BMW drivers expect. The GT is a big car, sharing the same 121-inch wheelbase with the 750i. The 530d is rated at a combined 36.2 mpg (U.S.) on the EU driving cycle. In spite of its bulk, AutoCar found it to be a very good handler and the "bi-modal" hatch gives the GT plenty of utility to go with its large interior volume. It's just too bad that BMW officials confirmed last week that Americans won't be getting the diesel GT for now.
[Source: AutoCar]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Matt 8:33PM (9/08/2009)
It's like they stepped on an X6 or something...
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b52chief 8:57PM (10/06/2009)
What is the problem with getting a 5 series diesel to the USA? Is it our Government ?
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