The BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe marks the first time BMW has ventured into four-door classic coupe territory. The initial launch of the 6 Series Gran Coupe in Australia will consist of only the 640i with the more powerful 650i V8 not expected to arrive until later this year.
BMW expects the $184,800 640i Gran Coupe to appeal to a growing range of buyers that have come to appreciate a large four-door luxury coupe. The 6-Series Gran Coupe joins the Coupe and Convertible already on sale in Australia.
Measuring 5007mm long, the Gran Coupe is 11.3cm longer than the Coupe, with the extension coming primarily in the wheelbase and with no change to the front and rear overhangs.
It looks almost identical to the Coupe front on, but there are certain chrome elements between the fog lights and air intake that are unique to the Gran Coupe. Side on, the two additional doors are an obvious change, so is the roofline which has been modified to accommodate the extra space for rear passengers.
As for the interior, the front half of the BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe is identical to the Coupe with the rear gaining two usable seats and an additional rear middle seat that is ideal for short journeys only.
The 640i is propelled by a 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder petrol engine with 235kW of power and 450Nm of torque. It rushes from 0-100km/h in 5.4 seconds and uses 7.9L of fuel per 100km (on a combined city and highway cycle).
BMW Australia’s Christoph Priemel, who is in charge of BMW ‘s product planning and pricing for the 5-, 6- and 7-Series, believes the 6-Series will not cannibalise sales of the 7-Series.
“The 7-Series exists in its own stratosphere. It says ‘I’ve made it’ – the 6-Series communicates something different” he said. Priemel believes the 6-Series is more focused on the aesthetics and will prove to be a strong conquest model to take sales away from numerous competitors.
There are no plans to import the 640d Gran Coupe diesel, which is available in European markets, for at least the next 12 months. BMW Australia expects the majority of early adopters to buy a petrol model before the range matures and diesel becomes a viable option later in the life cycle.
Like all 6-Series vehicles, the 640i Gran Coupe is available with an eight-speed automatic transmission, which makes the most out of the six-cylinder turbocharged engine. Other standard feature highlights include cruise control with braking function, driving experience control (which allows the driver to select from numerous driving modes), reversing camera and a second-generation full colour BMW head-up display.
As you’d expect for a car that retails close to $200k, electrically adjustable seats with memory function, lumbar support and seat heating for driver and front passenger are also part of the deal. As is BMW’s professional navigation which is connected to a 10.2-inch screen. Four-zone air conditioning and a nine speakers 205 watt stereo system provide cabin comfort (an additional $16,000 will get you a Bang & Olufsen 1200 watt sound system) while 19-inch V Spoke 366 alloys wheels come standard. There’s a no cost option to downgrade to 18-inch wheels for marginally improved fuel economy.
BMW Australia expects to sell more 6-Series Gran Coupe’s than it currently does Coupes and Convertibles (18 units sold in June) but not as many as the 7-Series when it gets a refresh later this year.