Sportvans: the future of BMW

BMW has announced that they will launch a sportvan based on the X5. It will be called F5 and will be launched in 2009. Also a sportvan based off its 3 Series-called F3 will be launched following year.

Both would be five-door, five-passenger vehicles with rear or all-wheel drive offered. They’re designed to be sporty and yet capacious, with ride and handling to BMW sedan standards. They’ll eschew larger wheels and tires that add unsprung weight as well as high centers of gravity that diminish ride and handling quality.

Engines in the F3 would likely match standard, non-M3 engines from the 3 Series; the 235-horsepower, 3.0-liter six and the 300-horsepower twin-turbo 3.0. A diesel option for the States, given BMW’s plans to sell them here also is a good bet.