XDrive Gran Turismo offers up limo-like ride
Sixty kilometres of stop-and-go congestion on Southern California’s six-lane-wide 405 interstate allows for a good deal of observation and reflection.
The observations, in no particular order, were: That sport-utes and crossovers, while in abundance, didn’t dominate the tarmac; that Asian nameplates did; that Toyota must be pleased with its market share in this sunshine state; and that many of these Toyotas are various versions and generations of the Prius hybrid.
Oh, and while the Tesla Model S is popular, it seems that Maserati’s Quattroporte is what’s in vogue with the snootier Real Housewives of Orange and San Diego counties.
The reflections were more specific, centred on trying to decide whether the new BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo, offered exclusively in Canada and the United States as the 640i xDrive, was attractive. It does lack the sleekness of the 6 Series Gran Coupe, looking a little heavy in the back end.
But it is much easier on the eyes than the now-discontinued 5 Series Gran Turismo, not one of BMW’s finer styling efforts.
Yet, the 640i’s slightly thick back end reveals a hatchback utility that is entirely in keeping with the car’s Gran Turismo designation, which, of course, translates into “grand touring.”
And as the family’s vacationmobile, the touring around Southern California was very grand. BMW’s mission for the all-wheel-drive Gran Turismo is — for now, anyway, since there is no M variation being offered — clearly skewed more to the luxe side of the equation as opposed to sporty, the automaker extolling the virtues of longdistance comfort, a smooth ride and a generously sized, flexibleuse interior crammed with all the modern conveniences.
This was further borne out with the mandatory ($4,900) Dynamic Handling package, which adds Comfort and Adaptive modes to the Driving Dynamics Control’s standard Comfort, Sport and Eco Pro settings. The additional modes allow drivers to select a particularly comfortable setup or one that responds automatically to their driving style.
In Adaptive mode, BMW says the car uses data from the navigation system to proactively adjust the car’s responses when approaching intersections or curves.
Cruising the various interstates, the ride bordered on limo-like, much of the credit going to the rear-axle air suspension with automatic self-levelling, which maintains a constant ride height regardless of driving conditions. In fact, the only thing compromising a very serene ride was tire hum on some roads with a grainier tarmac.
BMW hasn’t completely abandoned its “ultimate driving machine” credo. The 2,000-kg cruiser is powered by a turbocharged 3.0-L inline-six pumping out a sufficient 335 horsepower.
Normally docile, the engine quickly responds to the punch of the throttle. The U.S. spec car had an as-tested price of US$83,015. Options are different than what’s offered in Canada. The tester, which has a base price of $76,700 in Canada, would likely carry an as-tested price of around $93,000.