U.S. sales of quirky 5-series GT disappoint BMW

A BMW exec hoped the 5-series GT would lure wagon customers. It didn't.

As KHABAR KHODRO reports , BMW's 5-series Gran Turismo was meant to be a stylish alternative to minivans and crossovers when it debuted in November 2009. But sales of the tall, quirky five-door have been disappointing.

Now, BMW of North America CEO Jim O'Donnell says he wishes the company hadn't stopped selling the 5-series wagon in the United States last year. BMW had expected the 5-series GT to attract those wagon buyers, but the GT is luring owners of the more-expensive 7-series sedan instead.

"The disappointment I have is that I thought a lot of our 5-series station wagon customers would go with the GT," O'Donnell says. "In point of fact, that is not happening. We have lost those customers to the competition -- mainly to Mercedes-Benz.

"The GT has attracted 7- and 5-series customers and conquests," he says, "but not the station wagon customer we had hoped."

When the GT was launched in the United States, BMW executives said they expected annual sales of 4,000 to 8,000 units. BMW sold 2,848 GTs in 2010 and just 720 in the first four months of 2011The 5-series GT's styling has been controversial. Dealers say some buyers dislike the hatchback configuration and some object to its high rear-end design.