BMW just launched their new 6-Series Gran Turismo in India. The car is slotted between the sporty 5-Series and the big luxurious 7-series limousine.
BMW Cars | BMW 6 Series GT | BMW 6 Series GT Price | BMW 6 Series Specs
The car replaces the 5-Series GT in India. We take the new Mercedes Benz E-Class LWB challenger for a test drive here.
Styling
Coming to the front what you get is the signature twin-kidney BMW grille with the sharp and beautiful headlamps seamlessly blending into it. The face resembles other cars in the BMW stable.
However, the car stands apart with a unique silhouette. It has a nice hunkered down stance. The steeply raked windscreen and roofline add some excitement to the side profile. Frameless doors look uber-nice. The notchback rear along with the gorgeous wraparound tail lamps completes the design of the 6-GT.
Interiors
Step inside and you immediately notice the quality levels of the materials used; unmistakably topnotch. The instrument panel is a screen based TFT. The central touchscreen gets BMW gesture control, intelligent voice control and iDrive touch controller with handwriting recognition. The infotainment system also gets wireless Apple Car Play.
The front seats are pretty huge and can accommodate even large frames with ease and comfort. However, it is surprising to note that the car doesn’t offer lumbar support for the front passengers. There is a memory function for the driver, which is a nice touch by BMW.
The car is definitely built around the rear passenger. The car offers loads of legroom m and space for the rear passenger. The rear seats are electrically adjustable with 9-degree backrest recline (The E-Class offers 37-degree recline for the rear seat in comparison). There are a set of 10.2-inch rear seat entertainment colour screens. The car also offers advanced automatic climate control air-conditioning with 4-zone climate control. The rear seat headrests also get comfortable cushions. The car gets air-suspension, which offers great comfort to its occupants.
Engine and Performance
The 6-Series GT in India is currently offered with only a 630i petrol engine. This petrol motor churns out a max power of 258 hp @ 5000-6000 rpm and a peak torque of 400 Nm @ an impressive 1550-4400 rpm rev range. The engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox. The car has three drive modes:
- Sport
- Comfort
- Ecopro
The car can breach 100 kmph mark in 6.7 seconds, which measured by any yardstick is impressive (this is achieved in Sport mode). The comfort and Ecopro settings undoubtedly make the car a little dull as these modes are meant for comfort and improved fuel efficiency respectively. The engine is pretty rev happy and the 630i is a free-revving motor. The 8-speed automatic gearbox is a smooth operator and offers seamless shifts.
Comfort and Handling
The car gets air-suspension on all the four wheels, which definitely aids in offering superior ride comfort. However, dynamics are not that all bad compared to say a Mercedes Benz E 350d with similar air suspension set up.
Definitely, the car has a lot of body roll and jiggliness, especially in the comfort mode. The suspension tightens a little bit in Sport mode to offer better handling. Also, the steering is pretty well weighed and offers decent feedback to the driver.
Safety
The car has got six airbags (driver, front passenger, the head airbags for the entire window surface on the side and the side airbags integrated into the front seat backrests).
Think your car deserves a better price than that offer? Sell Your Cars in 72 Hours
Other safety features include:
- Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
- Adaptive headlights ensure optimum illumination and visibility in all driving situations.
- Rear view camera with interactive track lines.
The car has got an active rear spoiler that gets activated once the 6-GT crosses 120 kmph and automatically retract back inside once the speed goes down to 70 kmph.
