Comfortable new BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo

The BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo sets a new level of comfort and elegance wrapped in a sporting coupé design but now with superior driving dynamics and efficiency.

This new model, which takes over from the 5 Series Gran Turismo, gets a new designation to reflect the major step forward over its predecessor.

Having just made its World Premiere at the recent IAA show in Frankfurt, the 6 Series Gran Turismo, will initially be offered with a choice of three engines while the BMW xDrive all-wheel-drive system will be available in two of the three variants in the model line-up.

The large GT, a vehicle concept blending the luxury of a comfortable saloon with coupé looks, was first launched in 2009. Called the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, the model was a game changer delivering comfort and elegance, but practicality too. The new 6 Series Gran Turismo takes these characteristics so enjoyed by 5 Series GT customers to another level and enhances the driving dynamics further.

From the BMW kidney grille to the sculpted LED units at the rear, the BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo has an eye-catching profile, but when viewed from the front the vehicle has a muscular presence. Standard BMW Icon Adaptive LED headlights for dipped and main beam, joined by the daytime driving lights display BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo cuts an impressive silhouette: the A-pillars are much more heavily raked than its predecessor while the flowing roofline and sweeping side window design gives that true coupé look.

The BMW 6 Gran Turismo is no longer broken up by an extra guide strip through the large window in the rear door and, at the rear, horizontal lines, sharp edges and tapering surfaces magnify the car’s width to emphasise its sporting nature.

The new 6 Series Gran Turismo clearly takes its cues from the 5 Series GT, but its design offers a more athletic, sportier stance. Vehicle height has been reduced by 21mm, while the rear end has been lowered by 64mm. The vehicle length has been increased by 87mm while the width remains the same. All these changes, while retaining the coupé/saloon characteristics of the predecessor, have contributed to a more low-slung silhouette without compromising on interior space or practicality.

Indeed, the 6 Series Gran Turismo better serves its passengers with more headroom as well as offering ample legroom. The rear has three full-size seats and customers can opt for electrically-adjustable chairs where the backrest angle can be altered at the push of a button.

With its increased length the BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo also offers more boot space, both with the rear seats in place or folded down. Rear-seat backrests are 40:20:40 split-folding by means of a remote release system in the boot and, behind them, the boot area can accommodate a total of 610 litres (up 110 litres on the 5 Series GT) and 1,800 litres when the backrests are folded down (up 100 litres). The vehicle also features a one-piece electrically operated tailgate, while the boot sill has been lowered by more than five centimetres and is now flush with the floor for improved loading capability. The two-piece luggage compartment cover has a rigid structure and can be stowed away in a compartment underneath the boot floor.

The engine line-up features Twin- Power Turbo technology and all variants offer the eight-speed Steptronic transmission with paddles as standard. The 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol unit in the new BMW 630i Gran Turismo delivers 258hp and peak torque of 400Nm, taking the car from zero to 62mph in 6.3 seconds with a combined fuel consumption of 43.4mpg with CO2 emissions of 148g/km.

The 3.0-litre six-cylinder in-line petrol engine in the BMW 640i xDrive Gran Turismo generates 340hp and maximum torque of 450Nm and it will accelerate from zero to 62mph in 5.3 seconds. The combined fuel consumption is 35.3mpg respectively, which equates to CO2 emissions of 183g/km. The BMW 630d Gran Turismo and the new BMW 630d xDrive Gran Turismo both use a 3.0-litre six-cylinder in-line diesel engine producing 265hp and peak torque of 620Nm.

The 630d version accelerates from zero to 62mph in 6.1 seconds while the xDrive version is slightly faster, reaching 62mph in 6.0 seconds. The combined fuel consumption and emissions figures are 55.3mpg and 135g/km for The BMW 630d Gran Turismo and 49.5mpg and 150g/km for the BMW 630d xDrive Gran Turismo.

At their annual conference in Bad Nauheim, Germany, car industry experts from all over the world recently selected the 6 Series GT as the winner of the EuroCar Body Award 2017.

With the current savings being offered by BMW, 6 Series GT prices start at €66,494.

For more details or to book a TestDrive, call the Sales Team in J Donohoe BMW on 053 9242526 or visit www. jdonohoebmw.ie