According to a report by InsideLine, BMW is set to expand its wagonesque line-up by one in 2011 with the introduction of the 335i Gran Turismo. The 3 series-based crossover takes its inspiration from the 2011 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, with a sloping X6-like hatch that will feature the same two-stage tailgate on the 5 series GT, allowing owners to open either the small trunk or complete hatch.

IL's sources say that two-, four- and five-seat configurations will be available, along with a range of diesel and gasoline engines, including at least one petrol-powered turbo version. If the 3 series GT comes to fruition, that would bring BMW's entry-level line-up to five models – coupe, convertible, sedan, wagon and five-door – and provide another competitor to the Audi A4 Avant and Q3, but could cannibalize X1 and X3 sales in the process.

[Source: InsideLine]

General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Honda and everyone else may not think there is much of a market for mainstream diesel vehicles in the United States, but Volkswagen would beg to differ. Since it launched its new generation diesels last fall in the Jetta and earlier this year in the Touareg, they have been selling like hotcakes with June being its best month yet. Last month was the best sales month to date for the Sportwagen with 1,982 sales and a whopping 81% of those were equipped with the 2.0-liter TDI four-cylinder.

Among the 8,431 Jetta sedans sold in June, 40% were diesel powered. And while the Touareg followed most other SUVs with a 41% overall decline to only 330 units in June, 29% of those had the 3.0-liter V6 TDI engine. Rabbit sales were down 69% in June, but a redesigned Golf is arriving in September, including a TDI – and if fuel prices keep climbing through the summer, it could see a huge sales spike as well.



[Source: Volkswagen]

Subaru's new-for-2010 Outback ought to silence a few critics who contend that all-wheel drive sucks up too much fuel to be a worthwhile purchase for most consumers. According to the Japanese automaker, the tip-toe all-weather wagon has studied up for the EPA test, netting 29 miles-per-gallon on the highway. That's smaller front-driver territory from many automakers, albeit with a big dash of Subaru load-lugging capacity.

The good table manners are delivered by the combination of the new Lineartronic CVT and 170 horsepower 2.5 liter boxer four. Subaru's EPA numbers for the 2010 Outback are tops for such a roomy wagon, besting the typical SUV competitors, as well as the higher-end AWD wagons offered by Audi and Volvo. The $23,000 price of entry is attractive, too, although given our recent experience with the 2010 Legacy upon which it is based, we don't imagine it being a terribly spirited drive when so-configured. Even still, for all those bloviators who keep calling for a good-sized wagon that returns reasonable fuel economy for a sensible price, here's your car wagon thing. Official press release after the jump.



[Source: Subaru]

The Sixties really was a happier time – sleeping in the back of your car was such a fine thing to do that automakers even advertised their wares that were capable of accommodating their slumbering owners.

This 1961 commercial for the Saab's Ur-Sportcombi 95 – "Your new dream car" – has that going for it and so much more, including titchy cargo-area seats for the kids like the Tesla Model S. To see what life – and Saab – used to be like when "leech-like" handling was all the rage, follow the jump for to watch the video.

[Source: TurboNines]

Saabs United procured some rendered versions of the coming Saab 9-5 that are purportedly from Saab itself. While computer renderings must be viewed with a few packets of salt sprinkled on the screen, if you compare the 9-5 sedan render with a spy shot of the rear end of the actual car, the similarities look promising.

The wagon rendering is simply too brutally sexy to be believed, and so -- only in order not to have our hopes dashed -- we refuse to believe it. If Saab did have the gumption to design such a car, and Koenigsegg does have the wherewithal to properly market it, then we might just have a proper Swedish car company on our hands again. The 9-5 sedan arrives at this year's Frankfurt Auto Show and goes on sale this year, with the wagon following next year.

[Source: Saabs United via Autoblog.nl]

Less than 24 hours ago, Autoblog commenter Zamafir sent us a few cloaked images of the upcoming Audi A5 Sportback getting ready for its close-up at the University of California San Diego. Unsurprisingly, another camera-phone wielding student was able to capture Audi's new five-door A5 sans camouflage, and the results are equal parts telling and predictable.

Although the front end remains masked in these newest spy shots, the bit that matters – the slopping rear hatch – is plain as day, with a stretched C-pillar and elongated rear-quarter window, large rear windshield and slightly upkicked boot lid. The rear overhang doesn't seem disproportionately stretched and the profile proves that at least one German automaker can pull off an attractive mid-sized five-door without relying on a bloated rump.

There's still some debate about whether Audi will offer the A5 Sportback in the States, so just because it was shot in So. Cal. doesn't mean it's headed this way. Instead, expect the A5 to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September (possibly earlier, at the Audi Centenary Celebration in July), with a range of gasoline and diesel powertrains, including an S5 variant packing the supercharged 3.0-liter V6. You can read the full account of Zamafir's rendezvous with the A5 Sportback and see another spy shot of the new five-door over at Fourtitude.



[Source: Fourtitude]

We've been telling you that Chrysler's PT Cruiser is destined for death for years now, yet the little wagon continues to endure. Inside Line is reporting that the PT has yet again escaped the gallow's pole, and instead the Little Paddy Wagon That Could will soldier on until December 2010.

The move will reportedly keep Chrysler's Toluca, Mexico plant running until the Fiat 500 and Panda arrive to fill the space. Inside Line says the two models will be built at the site beginning summer 2011, and the six or so months between the final demise of the PT and the beginning of the Fiat era will be utilize to retool the facility.

With the PT Cruiser possibly around for another year and a half, we have no choice but to continue to "enjoy" its retro-ness. Heck, with an 11-year-old platform and a design that hasn't changed much since its inception, the little PT is practically a living, breathing classic car in its own right.

[Source: Inside Line]

Saab seems to be eking out as much exposure as possible from its upcoming 9-5 sedan and wagon. The Swedish automaker has reportedly flown a number of European journalists to the Saab museum in its home town of Trollhattan, where what appears to be production-ready versions of the new 9-5 in wagon form were covered up with nothing but thin, somewhat translucent covers.

Due to the nature of such form-fitting attire, we can clearly see the outline of the brand's familiar front fascia, albeit slightly modified with a more deep-set look than current models. There is also just a hint of headlight trim brightwork, which looks rather subdued when compared to the current 9-5. The rest of the car is much harder to interpret, though we do spot rakish-looking C-pillars that lend further credence to the sedan's expected coupe-like shape.

In addition to the 9-5, Saab also kept a 9-4x prototype under wraps in its Showroom of the Future. There's not much to glean there, from what we can see the planned CUV shares its basic shape with the Cadillac SRX but at least gets an infusion of Saab-specific DNA in the front fascia. Click here to see the rest of the spy shots from Saabs United.

[Source: Saabs United via Jalopnik]

About two years ago, there was a nasty rumor that Ford was developing sedan and wagon variants of (gasp!) the Mustang. Torches were lit and pitchfork futures soared until Ford totally debunked the rumor.

But 55 years ago, something similar took place at the 1954 Motorama in New York when Chevrolet displayed a Corvette-based wagon called the Nomad. The difference in the two stories, according to at least one Web site, is that the public absolutely loved the show car's styling. Smelling opportunity, GM management rushed the Nomad into production without even one trace of Corvette styling.

There are those who still hold a grudge against GM for not following through with a Corvette-based station wagon. For the latter fans, their 55-year wait might be over if they saved at least $2,300 a year.

For $125,000 Superior Glass Works will sell you a 1954 Corvette Nomad recreated in fiberglass and fittingly built on a Corvette C5 chassis. The choice of engine, interior and wiring is up to you after you get it home and at extra cost. A $50,000 deposit will reserve one of the 25 copies to be built. Brad Peterson, owner of Specialty, tells us that pre-orders were not taken and no cars have yet been sold. But if you're interested, he said you can check out the Superior 54 Sport Wagon in person at Back to the 50s in St. Paul, Minn. June 19-21 or at the NSRA Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky, August 6-9.



[Source: Hemmings Autoblogs]

We find it cool that carmakers cart their rides all over the globe to carry out the most brutal testing in the most out of the way places. They must find it a little frustrating, however, that car mavens with cameras and internet connections lurk in even in the most remote locations .

According to AB reader Tom, he spotted a pair of lightly-camoed Mercedes-Benz E-Class wagons and a sedan "on the desert gravel roads between Walvis Bay and Solitaire in Namibia." The wagons are getting ready for their debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show in a few months, and if the tailpipe application is accurate then the black one is likely a V8 – and yes, this does mean we want a blacked-out wagon E550 wagon. You can check out high-res pics of the trio below. Thanks for the images, Tom!