BMW 520d M Sport Gran Turismo
BMW car review: PETER NUNN
What is it?
BMW has created a new business-friendly version of its big 5 Series Gran Turismo, based around its acclaimed and economical 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine.
For those Business Car Manager readers new to the 5 Series Gran Turismo, it’s basically a hatchback version of the 5 Series – so it sits, in terms of functionality, between the 5 Series saloon and 5 Series Touring estate car.
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The big Beemer slips into the 21% company car tax band
This ‘downsized’ entry level 520d GT gets the same 2.0-litre Twin Power diesel that features in the 5 Series Saloon and Touring. This has the effect of dropping the GT down into a lower and more fiscally attractive company car tax bracket. 
The key numbers are 139 g/km and 53.3 mpg, coupled with power of 184 bhp and torque of 380 Nm.
This puts it into VED band E. For company car users it also means a company car tax band of 21 per cent and a benefit in kind of £8343.
OTR prices start at £36,605 for the 520d GT SE, rising to £39,905 OTR for the M Sport version tested here.
Compared to the bigger engined diesel and petrol 5 Series GTs, the numbers for the 520d certainly look good. The car also comes with a long and lavish equipment list including leather trim and big panoramic sunroof as standard. 
Ultimately, though, how does the 520d GT perform with its ‘small’ engine and does it have real appeal outside of those all important CO2 and company car tax band numbers?
What’s hot?
- Big and bulky, the 520d GT is no lightweight yet there’s still a decent level of performance to be enjoyed with the ‘small’ Efficient Dynamics 2.0-litre turbodiesel on board. Acceleration, in fact, is suprisingly lively
- BMW quotes 8.9 secs for 0-62 mph, yet subjectively the car feels fleeter than that. A big wall of that all-important pulling power called torque (380 Nm peaking at just 1750 rpm) plus well chosen gear ratios are the key to the BMW’s effective turn of speed
- BMW’s latest eight-speed automatic transmission is standard
- Combined economy hits an impressive 53.3 mpg thanks to a full range of Efficient Dynamics technology, including Auto Start-Stop, Brake Energy Regeneration and ECO PRO transmission mode
- The 5 Series GT is a super refined, comfortable and quiet, It also cruises beautifully
- Exotic and airy interior one of the GT’s big selling points. Fit and finish both outstanding
- High specification levels as standard, including Dakota leather upholstery and BMW Business Advanced Navigation System and enhanced Bluetooth telephone functionality with telematics
- The 5 Series’s quirky styling is courageous…and different
- It’s an impressive car for just a 21 per cent company car tax band
