BMW 550i GT Wins Interior Design Award

Ward's Auto Interior of the Year Awards, North America's only honors for excellence in automotive interiors, have been announced for 2010. The BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo has won the Design Versatility category, being appreciated first and foremost for its flexibility. The 5-Series Gran Turismo offers luxury seating for up to five passengers, with plenty of room left for luggage. And when larger items need to be carried, it offers maximum flexibility, including a two-piece tailgate.

“We’re very pleased to receive this award”, said Jim O’Donnell, president and CEO of BMW of North America. “With the 5 Series Gran Turismo, our engineers and designers set out to create a vehicle that combined first-class seating for four with the utmost in flexibility for storage options. This award for Design Versatility shows just how well they hit that target”, added the official.

A team of eight Ward’s Auto editors evaluated 40 vehicles that have all-new interiors or significantly upgraded ones for 2010. The vehicles, cars and trucks alike, were divided into separate segments, with one winner named in each category. Judging criteria included aesthetics, design harmony, comfort, driver information, ergonomics, fit and finish, materials, safety and overall value.

“For years, the focus on safety and functionality has given us drab, uninspired vehicle interiors. This year’s winners show style and original design is becoming as important inside the vehicle as it already is to the sheet metal outside”, said Ward’s Auto World Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter. The 2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo arrived in the U.S. in December 2009. A new model, the 535i GT will appear on the market this month. Both models use BMW’s newest 8-speed automatic transmission.