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NEWS
Looks, price to drive BMW's 3 GT
BMW believes high-rise hatchback has what it takes to carve out sales nichesBMW Australia is confident its high-rise hatchback 3 Series Gran Turismo will be more successful than its 5 Series big brother because of cheaper pricing and better looks.
The 3 Series GT range of turbocharged four-cylinder 320i, 320d and 328i goes on sale September 1 priced at $69,500, $71,800 and $76,500, with BMW forecasting annual sales of between 300 and 400 per annum. For more on the equipment and specifications of the 3 series GT read our earlier report from last month.
The larger 5 Series GT, which pioneered the five-door hatchback look for BMW, is priced between $90,500 and $110,00 and managed just 120 sales in 2012, although the addition of a cheaper four-cylinder 520d GT has helped boost sales by more than 135 per cent after the first six months of 2013.
“This is a much more accessible car from a price point of view and it gives you options within that $60,000-$70,000 range,” BMW Australia sales and marketing general manager Tom Noble told motoring.com.au.
“We are expecting better results than the 5 Series GT because I think the design is better sorted. I think it is a better looking car, not that I think any of our cars are not good looking, but I think the way it has come together is probably more cohesive than the 5 Series GT.”
The 3 Series GT is 200mm longer than a 3 Series sedan, rides on a 110mm longer wheelbase, has an 81mm taller roofline and 70mm more rear legroom. It is nearly as long as a 5 series sedan overall and is almost as spacious in the rear as a 7 series limousine.
Noble said BMW’s confidence in the potential sales performance of the 3 GT had been boosted by both dealer and customer feedback.
“We have had it on display in Brisbane in an installation at Westfield [shopping centre] for the last couple of weeks and it has attracted more interest than any other car we have had in there including 3 series and other cars within our range.
“I didn’t expect the reaction to be ‘wow I am really interested in that, that’s a really good looking car’. We thought it was [good looking] but we didn’t know how people would react to be honest. I think we will get a much better reaction than what we had planned originally.”
The GT’s distinctive feature is its powered tailgate, which encloses a 520 litre boot. It expands to 1600 litres with the 40:20:40 bench split rear seat fully folded.
Noble said the GT’s passenger and luggage space would make it appealing to buyers who needed more versatility than a 3 Series sedan or Touring (wagon) provided, but did not want to buy an SUV.
“If you are looking for something sporty and you need some room and don’t want to drive an SUV it fits that gap right there.”
He also believes it will be a viable alternative for some BMW buyers frustrated by the long wait for the medium-sized X3 SUV.
“We struggle to get enough X3s,” he admitted. “If I could get more X3s then I could sell more X3s. So I have an alternative for people who can’t get an X3 because we don’t have enough of them.
“You also don’t often think of BMWs – other than the X models – as a family-friendly car. This is a much more family-friendly car than you would normally expect from BMW yet you still have the BMW-ness, people who have families will certainly be looking at it.”
Another potential appeal was to long term 3 Series buyers who wanted to move on from the sedan or Touring they traditionally purchased.
“There are a lot of 3 Series on the road, this is something that is unique, not everyone is going to have one,” he said.
Noble said the family orientation of the 3 GT was a reason the range-topping 335i six-cylinder turbo version on offer in Europe had been rejected for Australia.
“We have an opportunity in the future if the numbers and the interest demand it. We could bring that engine in, but it’s probably one too many to start with. It’s a sporty dynamic car but that’s probably not the reason you buy it.”
The option of all-wheel drive had also been rejected for Australia, even though it is an option offered by its most obvious competition, the Audi A5 Sportback.
“It adds costs and it adds weight,” said Noble. “Yes in some situations it feels a bit more secure. We have looked at it again but Audi isn’t killing us with four wheel drive, it’s not driving their business. They have it because they need to, because they have front-wheel drive cars.
“We don’t need four wheel drive cars to make our cars sporty. So I don’t think it’s required.”
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Written byBruce Newton
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