BMW 3 Series GT to debut in Paris

This year's Paris Motor Show is shaping up to be an interesting one. Autocar reports BMW is planning to show off the production version of the upcoming 3 Series Gran Turismo next month. Word has it the five-door will offer buyers a long-wheelbase version of the 3 Series they know and love along with love-it-or-loathe-it styling borrowed from the 5 Series GT.

BMW hasn't served up much in the way of details, but the report indicates the 3GT will be a bit shorter than the Chinese-market 3 Series Li, which spans just under 115 inches from bumper to bumper. The model will also share underpinnings with the upcoming 4 Series Gran Coupe, which is slated to debut in 2015.

The 3 Series GT is also expected to offer the same two-piece tail gate as its larger sibling, the 5GT. Combined with a slightly taller roof and more interior room, BMW hopes the new creation will appeal to families who don't want to jump into a 3 Series wagon.

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Suzuki S-Cross concept car (2012) teased ahead of Paris show

By Tim Pollard

First Official Pictures

10 August 2012 10:52

Suzuki today showed us the first glimpse of its new S-Cross concept car ahead of its debut at the 2012 Paris motor show. It's a compact crossover in the C-segment, aka a replacement for the Suzuki SX4 in its twilight years.

This pair of teaser images show little of the S-Cross, but we can see a stubby five-door crossover in the mould of the Nissan Juke.

The design sketch provides a few clues about what to expect from the S-Cross: expect a skid plate at the front and some body cladding around the sills for that 4x4-lite crossover look. As for the rest, well, you'll have to reach for your children's colouring-in pencils and your imagination.

The S-Cross is no mere pie-in-the-sky show car, according to this morning's announcement. It's a 'concept car heralding a C-segment crossover model from Suzuki.'

Judging by these teaser images, we'd say the real McCoy would follow soon after; we'd expect an S-Cross on sale in late 2013, replacing the Suzuki SX4.

The deal struck in 2006 to co-produce the Suzuki SX4 and Fiat Sedici at Suzuki's plant in Hungary is coming to an end. The Italians are now working with Jeep to build a range of new, small SUVs – leaving Suzuki to go it alone.

The car you see here could have spawned a Polo SUV, too, had the relationship between Volkswagen and Suzuki not soured to the point that they're now in arbitration in court.

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