The changing demands of today’s new car shoppers are resulting in more and more genre-busting models like the BMW 535i Gran Turismo. One of the Bavarian brand’s latest model lines, this cruiser lives in the same ballpark as machines like the Toyota Venza and Honda Accord Crosstour as a mishmash of car, crossover and wagon.
Here’s the skinny: BMW’s latest work takes a shot at reviving the ‘Gran Turismo’ vehicle class from days gone by. A big, majestic five-door hatch, the new ‘GT’ is aimed squarely towards those after an exceptionally comfortable and spacious non-SUV tourer that’s ready for four or five adults and their gear.
High tech, meet high luxury
Nobody blends high-tech and high-luxury like BMW, and inside the tester, there was no exception. Aluminum, leather and wood were the trim materials of choice, and designers even applied numerous consoles and displays that surround lucky owners with an air of modern sophistication.
The partially-digital instrument cluster features beautifully integrated multifunction LCD screens, and there’s a massive panoramic central-command screen, too. Oh, and extra points for the earth-shaking stereo.
The tester even got an optional heads-up display which projects vital data onto the windscreen like a fighter jet. Just skip the polarized driving glasses, or you won’t be able to read it.
Voice command? Check. Navigation? Yep. Advanced communications interface? Of course. Radar-guided safety features that let the GT virtually ‘see’ its surroundings? Ditto. Heck, the tester even got an ‘around-view’ parking monitor and side-looking cameras ahead of the front wheels to make parking virtually idiot-proof.
With all the sensors, screens and support systems, the 535i GT is like the roadgoing equivalent of the Starship Enterprise.
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| The new ‘GT’ is aimed squarely towards those after an exceptionally comfortable and spacious non-SUV tourer that’s ready for four or five adults and their gear. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |
Here’s the skinny: BMW’s latest work takes a shot at reviving the ‘Gran Turismo’ vehicle class from days gone by. A big, majestic five-door hatch, the new ‘GT’ is aimed squarely towards those after an exceptionally comfortable and spacious non-SUV tourer that’s ready for four or five adults and their gear.
High tech, meet high luxury
Nobody blends high-tech and high-luxury like BMW, and inside the tester, there was no exception. Aluminum, leather and wood were the trim materials of choice, and designers even applied numerous consoles and displays that surround lucky owners with an air of modern sophistication.
The partially-digital instrument cluster features beautifully integrated multifunction LCD screens, and there’s a massive panoramic central-command screen, too. Oh, and extra points for the earth-shaking stereo.
The tester even got an optional heads-up display which projects vital data onto the windscreen like a fighter jet. Just skip the polarized driving glasses, or you won’t be able to read it.
Voice command? Check. Navigation? Yep. Advanced communications interface? Of course. Radar-guided safety features that let the GT virtually ‘see’ its surroundings? Ditto. Heck, the tester even got an ‘around-view’ parking monitor and side-looking cameras ahead of the front wheels to make parking virtually idiot-proof.
With all the sensors, screens and support systems, the 535i GT is like the roadgoing equivalent of the Starship Enterprise.
 |
| The partially-digital instrument cluster features beautifully integrated multifunction LCD screens. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |