BMW to extend the appeal of its highly-successful 5 Series family.

At the 79^{th Geneva Motor Show, which opens on 5th March 2009, the world’s leading supplier of premium vehicles will unveil the BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo.}

^{This innovative idea takes the much loved, often copied, yet unbeatable BMW 5 Series Sedan and Touring family and creates a new look at sporting luxury mobility.}

^{It focuses on providing elegance, space, versatility and supreme comfort in one eye-catching design.}

^{The fastback styling is reminiscent of the new BMW X6, while the front end carries overtones of the E60 5 Series family.}

^{All four doors feature frameless windows, enhancing the sleek feel of a coupé, while the large panorama roof was previously reserved for the BMW X Series and 5 Series Touring.}

^{At the rear there is a new tailgate design, the like of which has not been seen previously in the premium segment. The single piece tailgate lifts up to allow access to the generous boot area for loading bulky items, but when closed, access to the traditional boot is effected by flipping up the vertical section of the lid, allowing convenient insertion of smaller objects.}

^{The BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo is designed for enjoyable long distance travel in supreme comfort.}

^{Interior space is plentiful, and the show car reveals a coupé-like layout with four large individual seats, bisected by a front to rear central console.}

^{Designed with ease of entry and exit in mind, there is a high ‘H’ point for the front seats, which means occupants step straight in rather than dropping down into the seats as in a typical BMW 5 Series Sedan, or climbing aboard into a vehicle such as the BMW X6.}

^{Each of the rear seats is electrically adjustable for backrest rake as well as substantial fore and aft movement. Rear headroom is similar to a BMW X5 with legroom on a par with a BMW 7 Series.}

^{The rear seats fold forward to create a huge luggage area of 1,650 litres, easily accessed by the high-rising tailgate.}

^{The dash is angled toward the driver and there are large screens inserted into the back of the front seats for the entertainment of the rear occupants. The instrument cluster boasts a black panel similar to that in the new BMW 7 Series, but this time equipped with four circular dials. The latest generation iDrive system is also featured.}