BMW has approved development of a new crossover vehicle based on its popular 3-Series line, according to a new report. Company insiders told AutoWeek the new model — codenamed F3 — will probably arrive as a 2010 model.
The vehicle will likely resemble the 3-Series, looking more similar to a station wagon than the truck-like X3. Something like a compact Mercedes-Benz R-Class, the F3 will target the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4.
The source told the magazine BMW’s new chairman, Norbert Reithofer gave the project a “definite thumbs up,” after years of deliberation by previous management. The car will provide “the high seating position of a sport/utility vehicle with the space afforded by a traditional station wagon,” the source told AutoWeek.
BMW is also said to be planning a direct rival to the Mercedes R-Class, based on the 5-Series. The project is known internally as RFK or F5.
05/25, 10:39 AM
posted by:
Renton
If they put the twin-turbo in it, I’ll get one.
05/25, 10:55 AM
posted by:
A4
or you could buy a 3-series wagon and sit on phone books!
05/25, 11:23 AM
posted by:
TomF
Smart move into a neglected market segment that needs more options. if you want a premium station wagon and don’t like the Outback, Avant or V70/XC70, where do you look? It’s good news that Caddy is jumping in with a CTS wagon, and better news that BMW’s adding a 3-series variant. I’m telling you, wagons are coming back.
05/25, 11:51 AM
posted by:
LP640
just what we need, yet more stupid crossovers
05/25, 12:26 PM
posted by:
c4Menace
“LP640″ at least they will make it fuel efficient..
05/25, 12:39 PM
posted by:
kosai03
mini vans -> suvs -> crossovers -> chaos titans?
05/25, 1:14 PM
posted by:
PrimeGTP
For cryin’ out loud….crossover #523,117,905…
05/25, 3:38 PM
posted by:
Jazz
I missed the minivan craze but got caught in the SUV maelstrom. Now that gas prices suck I may have to follow the lemmings and get a crossover. I don’t want to lose the versatility of a SUV.
I don’t know about Choas Titans. Are they fuel efficient?
PrimeGTP why the hate for Crossovers?
05/25, 3:45 PM
posted by:
PrimeGTP
Jazz, I don’t have any hate per-se for crossovers, I’m just sick of them. Yea, they are useful, but I don’t understand why there needs to be 6 billion different models.
05/25, 3:52 PM
posted by:
Jazz
Lol I understand
Chew on this- I just went to msn.auos and they listed 44 automakers that sell cars in the US auto market. Taking out the obvious makers that probably won’t make a crossover (Aston-Martin,Bentley Ferrari & rolls Royce) leaves us with 40 possible crossovers that may come to the market. Maybe more from companies like Toyota and Ford.
05/25, 3:55 PM
posted by:
Adrio
If theres anything that I’ve wanted from the 3 series, its for it to be taller and slower and handle worse than it does. I cant wait for them to make this.
05/25, 3:59 PM
posted by:
PrimeGTP
GMC will probably have multiple crossovers when all is said and done. 2 BMWs are talked of in this article alone. And yea, Toyota, Ford, maybe Honda though they are fairly quiet lately. It just seems like too much for a young segment that is being smothered to death because it showed some life. The funny thing is when all these two-faced automakers b*tch that no one is buying big cars anymore and they want to start building more compacts, and then what is the first thing to come off the drawing boards afterwards? A crossover SUV!
05/25, 6:16 PM
posted by:
SRT-4Ken
———->PrimeGTP, i’m definately with you on that one: “I’m just sick of them. Yea, they are useful, but I don’t understand why there needs to be 6 billion different models.”
05/25, 6:51 PM
posted by:
Hyperion
Dodge used to sell an entry level sedan. Then they replaced it with a “crossover” as the sole entry level vehicle in their lineup.
I hope BMW won’t do the same to the 3-series.
05/25, 9:09 PM
posted by:
ottacontrol
come onnnnn this **** is mad confusing
05/25, 11:06 PM
posted by:
Veda
SUV users are moving to crossovers, so think about how many people own SUV’s and imagine the number of different models that will be available in the near future. If you’re not into SUV’s to begin with, then why bother commenting as you won’t buy crossovers in the first place.
05/26, 12:49 PM
posted by:
LamborghiniZ
I’d rather have people be driving crossovers than full size or even mid size truck based SUV’s.
05/26, 1:31 PM
posted by:
MadMatt
Just buy a wagon people! Why do people feel the need to sit up high? Half the people I see driving SUV/CUV’s don’t know how to drive one anyway.
05/26, 6:16 PM
posted by:
A4
TomF… BMW has had a 3-series wagon for years… crossovers are something different, and usually theyre crap in the sense that most carmakers talk about them. True crossovers are the ones you spoke of… subarus, XC70’s, allroad’s, etc. Those are what crossovers SHOULD BE but they arent. This GMC Acadia crap, CX-7, etc… not crossovers. Just mini SUV’s. They still suck gas and are as big as an SUV, only they lack any off-road prowess. Id be more inclined to take a subaru outback offroading than any of these car-based SUV’s that they try to call “crossovers”. Real crossovers are jacked up station wagons, not scaled down SUV’s.
05/26, 6:17 PM
posted by:
A4
Although yes i give the CX-7 credit for apparently being a very good driving experience.
05/26, 7:43 PM
posted by:
deantj
Everything Mazda has done this last generation of vehicles has come out amazing.
The CX-7 is gorgeous and is fast and slick to boot. Killer crossover. I like this segment, but I agree that the sudden trend is a little annoying. It’s going to become overexposed and risks being remembered as a fad.
05/27, 4:04 AM
posted by:
CaptainObvious
I don’t like the stationwagon idea. Maybe a compact SUV with a M-Series would be a better choice. Cadillac CTS V-series CUV versus BMW M-series CUV. Hmmm
A CUV would look a lot better than the stationwagon “I’m married with kids” look. Audi’s making the Q5 and you know it’s going to hit the world in the face like a brick. Better listen and not screw this up BMW
05/27, 10:24 PM
posted by:
Ian
I think BMW shouldn’t bother with this idea. They already have a REALLY strong line up.
05/28, 9:42 AM
posted by:
LamborghiniZ
A4: Crossovers definitely don’t suck gas down at a rate comparable to truck based or full size SUV’s, that’s definitely not true, and more times than not crossovers aren’t as large as full size SUV’s, as most exist in the small to midsize SUV segment, not the full size (there are exceptions). I’m not really defending the segment because I like it or something, but just because there certainly are positive attributes as opposed to larger SUV’s, and you’re incorrect in stating they suck gas down in the same way, the whole point of them is that they DON’T use as much gas, and if you want to be realistic, the general populace could care less about off road ability, it effects so little a percentage of the market share that it wouldn’t make economical sense for these companies to not have car based crossovers and instead have what you suggest, jacked up off road wagons. Just being realistic.