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BMW confirms it won't replace the 3 Series Gran Turismo

BMW confirms it won't replace the 3 Series Gran Turismo

The company is downsizing after an unprecedented expansion.

The 3 Series Gran Turismo has fallen victim to downsizing, BMW confirmed. After a fast and unprecedented model expansion during the early 2010s, the German company has embarked on a quest to streamline the number of models in its line-up by eliminating slow-selling nameplates.

"There will be no successor [to the 3 Series GT]," said company boss Harald Krüger while discussing BMW's first-quarter earnings, according to Motor1.

The announcement hardly comes as a surprise. The 3 Series GT was an attempt to give buyers a more spacious alternative to the standard 3 Series, and a sleeker alternative to the 3 Series wagon. Its positioning was questionable in 2013, when it was introduced. It makes even less sense in 2019, when buyers who want a bigger Bimmer simply buy one of the firm's X-badged models.

Buyers longing for the Gran Turismo body style aren't entirely out of luck. The 6 Series Gran Turismo replaced the 6 Series Gran Turismo in 2017. It's bigger and more expensive than the retiring 3 Series Gran Turismo, though.

BMW hopes plucking the oddities from its line-up will allow it to save money. Like nearly every automaker, the Munich-based firm is trying to slash its operating costs to offset the substantial amount of resources it's spending on the development of electrified powertrains and autonomous technology. To that end, Krüger also announced BMW's powertrain portfolio will shrink by 50% during the early 2020s.