BMW's 550i Gran Turismo, which went on sale last week, is faster, roomier and more luxurious than most sedans. Its eye-catching shape and athletic performance prove that a hatchback does not have to be small, cheap and uninspiring.
The German carmaker could be onto something. Porsche released a hatchback, the Panamera, in October and Honda's Crosstour recently arrived in showrooms. Other hatchbacks from Acura and Aston Martin are on their way. Carmakers are stretching to fill perceived holes in their model lineups, like the niche between sedans and station wagons, and they're hoping the hatchback in North America can rise to the level of esteem it has in Europe.
But BMW and its competitors may be rolling out cars that no one wants. After all, hatchback styling has been a hard sell ever since the fuel shortages of the 1970s. So many rattletrap economy cars sold back then were hatchbacks that the body style became synonymous with hard times.
Based on price alone nobody will confuse the Gran Turismo with an economy car. The 550i I drove starts at $63,900 but surges with alarming ease into the $80,000 range with optional equipment. A sport package that adds bigger wheels and a more aggressive suspension costs $4,200, and a package that includes ventilated front seats costs $2,950. There is also a $1,000 gas-guzzler fee to go with its truck-like EPA rating of 15 miles per gallon in city driving and 21 mpg on the highway.
For the money, one does gets something rare: a big, fast car in line with the traditional definition of a GT, or grand touring car. Grand touring refers to tossing your bags in the trunk of a sleek, sexy and fast car, and scooting to the Riviera for a summer holiday or to the Alps for a ski vacation. It is a largely European concept that seems hopelessly stuck in the 1960s – or perhaps 1960s fiction. Let's be serious and accept that almost no one these days really uses a car that way – not in the U.S., at least.
But the GT made commuting a joy, and not only because of the longing looks it drew from other drivers in the parking garage. Its interior is comfortable and full of beautiful textures, shapes and colors – from recurring trapezoidal frames around the navigation screen, air vents and radio to the swaths of smooth wood and metal trim. Sitting in a traffic jam feels like a long-awaited rest. Hauling children to school and fetching groceries was a pleasure because of extra room in the back seat and a more accessible cargo area compared with previous 5-Series cars.
While the GT brings smooth, quiet enjoyment to puttering around town, it is most at home on long stretches of twisting two-lane roads. Sure, it rides with limousine smoothness and stability on the highway, in part because it weighs nearly 5,000 pounds. But motoring for miles in a straight line seems like a waste. Despite its bulk, the GT handles curves with athletic grace and can trick drivers into thinking it is a sports car.
I can forgive the new 550i for most of its quirks, including an automatic transmission gear level that lacks feel and an annoying chime that reminds the driver that it is cold outside. BMW has a history of 
botched attempts at making its cars more appealing with new gadgets and gizmos. Perhaps the best known of these is the iDrive, also featured on the 550i, which uses a single knob to combine radio, climate control, navigation and other functions. What sounds like a victory for efficiency really just adds steps to simple tasks like tuning the radio. Still, the car makes nearly every moment behind the wheel one to remember, from surprisingly tight turning radiuses that make parking a snap, to the subtle hum and smooth, locomotive-like urge of the engine.
So what would stop me from shopping for a GT? Other than the price, what grates me is its outer appearance. I think the GT goes out of its way to be homely. Its long nose and sloping roof have so much potential. But a tall, blunt front end with headlights and grille that form a seemingly sour expression ruin it for me.
If its body was as fetching as its handling and interior design, the GT would make hatchback disciples of many drivers. As it is, though, it gives shoppers too many reasons to say, "Hmm, I'm not wild about the looks," and choose a conventional sedan or crossover instead.
Source: The Wall Street Journal | by: Jonathan Welsh Wed | 12/12/2009
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