BMW confirms 5 Series Touring reveal for Leipzig

BMW has announced the debut of the company's latest generation 5 Series Touring, so rumors of the Touring's demise may have been exaggerated. To be fair, the BMW 5 Series Touring was never going to go away altogether – not when it sells in big numbers in European markets. That said, BMW foresees its new double-hinged hatchback 5 Series Gran Turismo as cannibalizing the wagon's already tiny sales in the U.S., so we don't expect to see the new Touring model in American showrooms. The rest of the world can look forward to a new wagon that is lower, lighter and more of a looker than the hunchback on the other side of the showroom.

The world premiere of the new 5 Touring will take place at the 2010 Auto Mobil International (AMI) in Leipzig. Although no photos or details have been released, this fourth generation 5 Series station wagon will share a lot in common with the recently introduced F10 2011 5 Series sedan that we sampled in Spain last month. That means new engines, gearboxes, suspension architecture, rear-wheel steering, user-selectable adaptive drive settings, brake energy regeneration and another generation of iDrive, for better or for worse. We'll get you more details and photos as they become available, in the meantime, make the jump for the official press release.

Photos by Chris Paukert / Copyright ©2010 Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: BMW]

Press Release

World Premiere in Leipzig: the new BMW 5 Series Touring.
Fourth Generation of the Highly Successful Business Touring Presented to the Public for the First Time at the 2010 Auto Mobil International (AMI).

Munich. BMW is returning to Auto Mobil International (AMI) Show in Leipzig with no less than a world debut, presenting the new BMW 5er Touring to the public for the first time when the Motor Show opens on the Leipzig Fairgrounds.
Through this significant model launch, BMW is setting one of the highlights at the AMI Show open to the public from 10 - 18 April 2010. At the same time further new models in the BMW range are to be seen for the first time in Germany at the 2010 AMI Show, among them the new BMW 5 Series Sedan, the new BMW X5, and the new BMW 3er Convertible.

BMW's appearance at the Show follows the guiding principle of "Joy", moving the world premiere of the new BMW 5 Series Touring as the top event at the AMI Show directly into the visitors' perspective through numerous activities. The 2010 AMI Show gives BMW the ideal setting to present the new edition of this successful Business Touring to the international public for the first time.

By tradition, the German market is the world's most significant sales region for the Touring version of the BMW 5 Series. As a further factor the world premiere of the new BMW 5 Series Touring highlights both the significance of the 2010 AMI as the No 1 car show in Germany this year and the close connection of the Company to the location in Leipzig. BMW Plant Leipzig builds not only the BMW 1 Series, but also the brand's latest highly successful model, the BMW X1.

Premium car maker BMW is presenting its current model range in a new exhibition area. Measuring approximately 1,500 square metres or more than 16,000 square feet, BMW's stand is being set up for the first time in Hall 3 of the AMI Fairgrounds.
BMW Classic is also represented in Leipzig with three historical cars on show in a special event in the Fairground's Glass Palace under the motto "Hidden Treasures – Car Museums Present their Greatest Highlights". And last but not least, BMW is also presenting the new BMW X1 for practical testing in the outdoor area of the Fairground.