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BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo bumps you up to first class

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To the alphabet soup of SUVs, SAVs, CUVs etc., BMW is adding PAS.

That stands for progressive activity sedan and describes -- at least according to BMW -- the new niche being carved out by its new Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo, which debuts next month at the Geneva Auto Show.

Despite the word ‘concept’ in the name, the German automaker says it actually intends to build the car, although it provided no details on when it might be available in showrooms.

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No pricing or technical information has yet been revealed either, but BMW says it will be priced somewhere between a 5 Series and 7 Series. In other words, in the $60,000-$70,000 neighborhood.

The look of the car, which is closer to a 7 Series than a 5 Series in size, is in the four-door coupe genre. But BMW says its utility features and large size put the car in its own category -- hence the PAS.

So the question remains, is this strange mixture of sedan, SUV and touring vehicle just what the doctor, lawyer, engineer or housewife of Orange County ordered? BMW product and technology communications manager Tom Plucinsky says it is.

“This car is designed less for a specific market, but more for a customer who needs all the utility of an SUV, minivan or wagon, but would not want the association with those types of vehicles,” he said.

As for new and innovative features, the Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo has a few:

First-class seats
The front seats have a height BMW calls semi-command; They ride higher than the seats in a typical BMW sedan or coupe, making getting in and out easier -- no climbing or bending. The back seats can be configured with or without a center console and can be moved individually.

Two-way trunk trick
The unique “bi-modal” trunk opens both as a hatchback and a sedan trunk. The idea is to shield passengers in the back seat from a wind blast when the trunk is opened during inclement weather.

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A grille apart
For BMW enthusiasts, the slightest nuance of grille changes can excite and intrigue. In this case, the kidney-shaped grille pods have a slight “slant forward,” paying homage to early 1 Series models that featured a more vertical grille.

Other features, including the dual round headlights with LED corona rings and the ‘black panel’ instrumentation are borrowed from the new 7 Series.

-- Joni Gray

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