Outsider view: New niche?

The new BMW 5 Gran Turismo has attracted a few caustic comments on its appearance, and this mixture of saloon, coupé, estate and SUV does indeed take some getting used to. So aesthetics clearly weren't high on the list of priorities for the design team. But leaving that aside, the more important question is, who will buy it? Niche vehicles can be good earners. But a major competitor in the shape of Mercedes has already demonstrated just how easy it is to miss the mark with the R Class. On the other hand, BMW themselves have already answered the above question in convincing fashion with the X6. Sales figures for this model are highly satisfactory and the critics have had to eat their words. It's doubtful, though, whether that will be the case with the 5 series GT.