Funnily, the Bavarian marque has more kinds of (and we do mean body types) cars than any other brands at the moment. From the regular 5 Series sedan and lower but svelte 6 Series Coupe to the confusing 5 Series GT and the gargantuan X6, BMW seems to have covered all the different demographics there is. Now, the brand has finally launched a car that will pit against the likes of the CLS, A7 and the Panamera. Dubbed the 6 Series Gran Coupe, BMW aims to attract buyers who place greater emphasis on outright style without compromising on inherent practicality.
This stretched version of the 6 Series Coupe with extra doors was showcased at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show to directly compete with the other Germans in the four-door executive coupe segment. BMW may be awfully late for the party, but considering that its rivals have been doing such great business with their four-door coupe models, perhaps it’s better late than never.
Combining the sporty dynamics of the 6 Series with the status and presence of the 7 Series, the Gran Coupe (let’s just call it GC for convenience sake) represents individual luxury and space which makes it subtly grander than the Benz CLS and more of a match to the Panamera.
Exterior
It looks sleekly gorgeous which explains why sales of the car has been soaring in Singapore. It has the front and rear of the 6 Series Coupe and Cabriolet, but with extra two doors. The car looks good from almost every angle, with fine character lines dominating the bonnet and sides. In fact in its place, the sheet metal wraps the car with pure perfection, sporting a sloping roofline that gives the car a coupe silhouette that trumps its competitors with ease.
This stretched version of the 6 Series Coupe with extra doors was showcased at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show to directly compete with the other Germans in the four-door executive coupe segment. BMW may be awfully late for the party, but considering that its rivals have been doing such great business with their four-door coupe models, perhaps it’s better late than never.
Combining the sporty dynamics of the 6 Series with the status and presence of the 7 Series, the Gran Coupe (let’s just call it GC for convenience sake) represents individual luxury and space which makes it subtly grander than the Benz CLS and more of a match to the Panamera.
Exterior
It looks sleekly gorgeous which explains why sales of the car has been soaring in Singapore. It has the front and rear of the 6 Series Coupe and Cabriolet, but with extra two doors. The car looks good from almost every angle, with fine character lines dominating the bonnet and sides. In fact in its place, the sheet metal wraps the car with pure perfection, sporting a sloping roofline that gives the car a coupe silhouette that trumps its competitors with ease.
At 5007mm x 1894mm x 1392mm (L x W x H), the GC slots somewhere between the Panamera and the CLS. To us, the car is clearly the better-looking one amongst the other said two models, and certainly better looking than the A7 to practically everyone else. Its muscular stance appeals in a way that sets it apart from the competition, thanks to the extended wings over the wheel arches which also makes the GC look every bit as athletic as you’d expect from the Bavarian carmaker.
Interior
With a generous wheelbase of 2,698mm that’s similar to the 5 Series, the GC is 113mm longer than the 6 Series Coupe but remains similar in terms of its height. This added length sees to more back seat legroom and it’s fair to say that it is nowhere near as cramped as the 6 Series Coupe.
Obviously, the GC isn’t as spacious and practical as the regular 5 Series sedan considering the extension of the centre console all the way back to the rear bench means that the car can only be considered as an occasional five-seater. While four occupants can seat in royal comfort with ample space, the centre rear occupant needs to spread his legs open to sit in place (pun intended).
At the wheel, the sweeping dash and front seats are a carbon copy of the 6 Series Coupe. The multi-adjustable and supportive seats will put you in a low and snug driving position, making the GC feel like a car that’ll drive far and fast without a grumble. And as you’d expect from the Bavarian carmaker, materials used are all high on perceived quality.
With a generous wheelbase of 2,698mm that’s similar to the 5 Series, the GC is 113mm longer than the 6 Series Coupe but remains similar in terms of its height. This added length sees to more back seat legroom and it’s fair to say that it is nowhere near as cramped as the 6 Series Coupe.
Obviously, the GC isn’t as spacious and practical as the regular 5 Series sedan considering the extension of the centre console all the way back to the rear bench means that the car can only be considered as an occasional five-seater. While four occupants can seat in royal comfort with ample space, the centre rear occupant needs to spread his legs open to sit in place (pun intended).
At the wheel, the sweeping dash and front seats are a carbon copy of the 6 Series Coupe. The multi-adjustable and supportive seats will put you in a low and snug driving position, making the GC feel like a car that’ll drive far and fast without a grumble. And as you’d expect from the Bavarian carmaker, materials used are all high on perceived quality.
At this point in time, we also have to mention that the test car came equipped with the optional Bang & Olufsen sound system (with a levitating centre tweeter) which certainly caught our attention. At an extra cost of $15,400, it does make the driver feel special by completing the audio-visual experience.
The only minor setback for the GC is that despite offering a generous boot capacity of 460 litres (with rear seats in place) and 1,265 litres (with rear seats knocked down), it is slightly compromised by a rather small opening.
The only minor setback for the GC is that despite offering a generous boot capacity of 460 litres (with rear seats in place) and 1,265 litres (with rear seats knocked down), it is slightly compromised by a rather small opening.
The Drive
Doing justice to the GC’s superb 3.0-litre engine is the standard eight-speed automatic gearbox, which is smooth and quick to react even in manual mode where a more enthusiastic drive is expected or when it’s left to its own devices. Of course, like the 6er, the mapping and speed of the shifts is altered by the different modes made available: Eco, Comfort +, Sport and Sport +.
As the words suggest, Eco and Comfort + modes are for tree huggers, where the throttle inputs aren’t as responsive, allowing you to get a reasonably good figure of fuel consumption. It’s also these two modes where the suspension is the most comfortable, absorbing all sorts of broken and uneven asphalts well, sending not a single judder to the cabin.
Sport and Sport +, on the other hand, tweaks the accelerator with a sense urgency, stiffens the suspension and enhances the feel of the steering wheel by making it meatier. It is also in these modes when the GC is really put to the test.
Doing justice to the GC’s superb 3.0-litre engine is the standard eight-speed automatic gearbox, which is smooth and quick to react even in manual mode where a more enthusiastic drive is expected or when it’s left to its own devices. Of course, like the 6er, the mapping and speed of the shifts is altered by the different modes made available: Eco, Comfort +, Sport and Sport +.
As the words suggest, Eco and Comfort + modes are for tree huggers, where the throttle inputs aren’t as responsive, allowing you to get a reasonably good figure of fuel consumption. It’s also these two modes where the suspension is the most comfortable, absorbing all sorts of broken and uneven asphalts well, sending not a single judder to the cabin.
Sport and Sport +, on the other hand, tweaks the accelerator with a sense urgency, stiffens the suspension and enhances the feel of the steering wheel by making it meatier. It is also in these modes when the GC is really put to the test.
Although it is clearly clumsier than the 5er, there is an engaging fluidity to the handling that sees it rise above the CLS for driver appeal. The steering is well weighted and relatively direct while the chassis possesses wonderful balance, which in turn gives this car an eager cornering with a tinge of oversteering character.
More often than not, you don’t feel like you’re piloting a big car despite its generous sizing. Instead it feels more like a regular sedan and can be hustled along at a terrific rate. Plant your foot down on the accelerator and the 320 horses and 450Nm of torque sink in through the rear wheels to see the GC reaching 100km/h in a respectable 5.4 seconds, accompanied by a deep harmonic burble.
Perhaps the only time you really feel its biggish size is when you’re driving between terrace houses where narrow streets and acute turnings are of abundance.
Conclusion
What really sets the 6 Series Gran Coupe apart from its peers is its highly polished dynamic traits. Perhaps this car has got most bases covered - good to look at, engaging to drive and bears the part of practicality and load-carrying ability.
If only it wasn’t this expensive...
More often than not, you don’t feel like you’re piloting a big car despite its generous sizing. Instead it feels more like a regular sedan and can be hustled along at a terrific rate. Plant your foot down on the accelerator and the 320 horses and 450Nm of torque sink in through the rear wheels to see the GC reaching 100km/h in a respectable 5.4 seconds, accompanied by a deep harmonic burble.
Perhaps the only time you really feel its biggish size is when you’re driving between terrace houses where narrow streets and acute turnings are of abundance.
Conclusion
What really sets the 6 Series Gran Coupe apart from its peers is its highly polished dynamic traits. Perhaps this car has got most bases covered - good to look at, engaging to drive and bears the part of practicality and load-carrying ability.
If only it wasn’t this expensive...
