2010 BMW 5-series Touring - Car News - Car and Driver

Over the last 25 years or so, the story of station wagons in the U. S. has been a sad one. Sales plunged with the advent of the minivan in the early/mid 1980s, and the wagon’s fate was seemingly cemented when—of all things—the SUV picked up buyers tired of the sliding-door stigma. It's not as if there‘s a shortage of capable station wagons on the global market. As you probably know, European customers often prefer spacious five-door wagons over the executive sedans on which they are based. Three of the most popular and luxurious models are the Audi A6 Avant , the BMW 5-series Touring (known here as the Sports Wagon), and the Mercedes-Benz E-class wagon. To renew the fight in Europe—but not here, since this Bimmer won’t be imported to the U. S. —BMW will launch its next-gen 5er Touring at the Leipzig, Germany, auto show in early April. There are clear practical advantages to the new 5-series Touring: It fits up to 60 cubic feet of luggage with the rear seats completely folded down—they also fold in a one-third/two-thirds split arrangement—and if you need to carry passengers, the... On the German home market, BMW initially will offer four engines, including two diesels and two gasoline-powered units. There also is the 530d with a 242-hp, 3. 0-liter diesel inline-six. Source: www.caranddriver.com