Preview: New BMW 3-series GT set to join 5-series GT in 2011

2010 BMW 5 Series GT set to goes on sale early next year, and now BMW has turned its attention to pulling the same trick on the 3 Series, a smaller version based on the next-generation 3-series sedan is expected to be launched in 2011.

Picking up the 3-series GT moniker, the car will feature the same raised seating position and ride height as the bigger 5-series GT and will also likely adopt a two-tier rear hatch design. It will come with both RWD and xDrive AWD configurations, with power coming from a range of four and six cylinder engines. The computer generated rendering above gives us a preview of what the new car may look like, revealing that it will share the aggressive new look that’s being implemented across BMW’s lineup.

Speaking with British auto magazine AutoExpress, BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer said that the German manufacturer considers the upcoming 3 Series GT a “volume builder with which BMW can earn good money.”

Designers will be stressing the car’s coupe characteristics just as they did with the X6 and new 5-series GT. Expect to see extremely short overhangs, pumped fenders and sporty alloy wheels. Pricing will also reflect the car’s positioning above the standard 3-series on which it will be based. Along with an upcoming replacement for the X3, it will give BMW a vital rival to Audi’s A4 Avant as well as the upcoming Q3 SUV.