BMW News: There Will Not Be A Next-Generation BMW 3-Series GT

[William Maley]

The past decade has seen BMW exploring new niches in the marketplace with such models as the X6 and 5-Series GT. Some of them had paid off, while others haven't. The 3-Series GT falls into the latter. Following in the footsteps of the 5-Series GT (now 6-Series GT), the 3-Series offered a higher seating position and extra space for those who didn't want and SUV. But it never found an audience and BMW has decided to kill it off.

“When we did the GT we saw that in demographic change people want to sit a little more upright. But then you saw X1 and X3 you can sit upright and you feel younger. So this segment is under pressure from SUVs, which are having no disadvantage in fuel consumption or in ride and handling,” said Klaus Fröhlich, BMW's r&d chief to Motoring.

Last May, we reported that the next 3-Series GT would have moved over to the 4-Series lineup - similar to what BMW did to the 5-Series GT. But it seems those plans are off the table.

Its unclear at the moment when BMW could end production of the 3-Series GT.

Source: Motoring

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[balthazar]

Which has been a successful niche at BMW? X6 is as big a flop as the 3GT, and there are a half dozen more in the lineup.

[G. David Felt]

They could easily kill off most of their cars and a good amount of niche CUVs as I doubt they bring in any more profit to the company. Someone on the board is going to have to challenge this attitude of build a car and CUV in every class and make sure every little hole has a special something as it is the right thing to do.

Nope this just proves it. I suspect MB is going to have to cut models too as the global slow down in auto's will prove out that only selling 100 of a niche model is not profitable for every class.

[William Maley]

2 hours ago, balthazar said:

Which has been a successful niche at BMW? X6 is as big a flop as the 3GT, and there are a half dozen more in the lineup.

X6 I believe does quite well in China, Russia. 

[riviera74]

In this CUV era, BMW has too many sedan variants.  Too bad nobody really NEEDS anX6, when the X5 will do nicely.

In better news, within a year Cadillac will have an XT6 to go along with the XT5 and just released XT4.  About time.

[smk4565]

SUV coupes are the way of the future.  Hatchback, wagon, whatever this GT is, are all non-starters.  Those aren't body styles that work.  Take the Kia Stringer for example, probably will die on the sales charts and be dead in 5 years, but if it was an SUV coupe they'd have a hit.

[balthazar]

A sporty SUV coupe might be interesting, if anyone actually built one. I can't think of any- even Porsche won't build one. Instead there's 4-dr SUVs, and 4-dr SUVs with smashed down roofs no one buys.