NO CAR firm, it seems, is immune to the downturn. In January, BMW Group sold 70,405 vehicles across its three brands – BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce – 24.2 per cent fewer than in January 2008.
In January, the BMW brand sold 60,248 cars compared to 77,351 for the same month last year – a 22.1 per cent fall off in sales. Here in Ireland, the situation as regards new car sales is somewhat more alarming. BMW sold 397 new cars in January, compared to 1,765 in January 2008, a drop of 77.5 per cent. Good planning and a concerted effort to look after their dealers has taken away some of the pain but BMW sales are as much a victim of the demise of the Celtic Tiger as the property market that inspired it.
At a press event in Munich last week, BMW gave selected motoring journalists a preview of a car they hope will, despite the downturn, fulfil a need that few would have thought was required.
Ian Robertson, member of the board of management of BMW Group responsible for sales and marketing said: “The world has a set of economic circumstances that we havent seen for some time and that provides us with a number of challenges.”
He added that BMW has become much more receptive to customers’ demands and innovation and flexibility have become increasingly important to the brand. He announced that BMW is investing a further $1 billion in their US Spartanburg facility to produce more X Sports models. But the reason we were in Munich was to see “an intelligent new vehicle concept for modern mobility”. With the canvass removed we saw what the firm hopes will tick a box that has remained unchecked up until now.
It is called the BMW Concept 5-Series Gran Turismo and, if you take away the word “concept”, it will be a production model that we will see before the end of the year.
It, and not the glorious-looking CS Concept, has survived from concept stage, but many styling cues from the CS are found in the new car. It looks like a cross between a 7-Series, an X6 and what might be parts of the next 5-Series. The model will appeal, according to BMW, those who require something a little different from their luxury car. The concept car is a four-seater but a BMW spokesman told Motors that it will come as a five-seater from the start with the option of four seats for those who require greater rear-seat comfort.
Chris Bangle, in attendance at one of his last events as BMW head of design, might have winced at the mention of this being a crossover, but there can be no denying that this is part hatchback, part SUV and part saloon car. The rear boasts huge headroom – more than in the X5 – along with, in the Concept at least, sliding and reclining rear seats
The 5-Series Gran Turismo features a two-mode hatch opening, very much like that first seen on the Skoda Superb and no doubt a nod to emerging luxury markets such as Russia. In the first instance the boot opens like a saloon car, keeping the elements away from any luggage; a second model allows the entire rear window and tailgate lift together for a large opening.
Expect the car to be offered with the choice of a 272bhp 3.0-litre or 326bhp twin-turbo 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine, or a 4.4-litre V8. The same 245bhp 3.0-litre and 286bhp 3.0-litre diesels as found in the 730d and X6 35d will be offered. Features such as start-stop and regenerative braking will come as standard and while the car will come initially with rear-wheel drive, expect to see an all-wheel drive version soon after. Sales will start in Ireland this October, with a price tag expected to be around €70,000.