The United States is left without the BMW 5 Series Touring, but it could receive the brand's new city car

The new Cadillac CTS Sportwagon increasingly has a clear path in the estate segment of the American market. A few days ago, Volvo announced that this year would be the last in which the V70 would be sold in that country, being replaced by a front-wheel-drive version of the XC70. Now it is BMW that leaves Americans without the privilege of testing the new 5 Series Touring.

The four-door version of the new generation of the German saloon will go on sale normally in May as a 2011 model. However, seeing the very small sales of the previous 5 Series Touring E61 in the United States, BMW has decided that it will no longer sell it. Furthermore, there is a fear that it would divert potential customers from the Gran Turismo due to its higher cost.

Nevertheless, American lovers of estates will still have the comfort of knowing that the 3 Series Touring will remain in the lineup. But the fact is that one of the most fierce rivals of the Bavarian brand, Mercedes-Benz, will also find it much easier to dominate the segment with the new E-Class Estate, presented this month at the New York Auto Show, even though only one variant will be sold: the E350 4Matic.

However, while BMW abandons some ideas, it is considering other new ones for the United States. Specifically, the Munich manufacturer is considering bringing to that country the next front-wheel-drive city car positioned below the 1 Series. This is reinforced by the tightened fuel economy and emissions regulations of the North American authorities, which will urgently force car manufacturers to seek solutions such as adding small vehicles to their ranges.

Source | Motor Authority