California Autos Examiner

Thursday, May 24, 2007

BMW's F'in Problem







Little play on model nomenclature...Autoweek is running a computer generated shot of what someone believies is a forthcoming 3 series crossover will look like. The F3 would rival Mercedes' B-Class and could potentially be marked here in the good old USA.




I say potentially, because we really have to see what happens in this small crossover space. Now, for those with elephantine memories, you might recall that BMW has two larger vehicles in the works. The X6 has been getting all the press lately. That model is definitely slated for Spartanburg production and will arrive in the next few years. However, there is the less talked about RFK “space-functional concept” that is also being prepped by BMW. The model may be named the F5 and is slated to take on Mercedes' R-Class. Well, we all know how that R-Class has been a sales disappointment here in the USA--not for, in my mind, packaging reasons but rather because the front end of the R has been beaten by the ugly stick.




Autoweek claims that the F5 is slated for Spartanburg production, but everything I have read in the past has said that Germany's 5/7 series assembly line would get nod. In any case, look for one or both of these F's to arrive no earlier than 2-3 years down the road.
For your convenience, I've also included a shot of what the RFK (F5) may look like.


Full Autoweek article here.

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