Breaking car taboos is never simple, keeping in mind quite a few people will label this as nauseating at first when catching wind of or seeing a model that appears to be strange, others will wholeheartedly grasp it. It has been similar to that since everlastingly, and it will presumably continue happening as we get more seasoned, and the business adapts more about its clients. The 2016 BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe is one of those samples.
Nonetheless, some time ago, just a few organizations were famous for probing expansive specialties and drawing out a wide range of "insane looking", "outlandish" manifestations. Trust us when we let you know that BMW wasn't amongst them.
Now that its out in the open, only ten years back, the organization had just seven models in its line-up, pander to each need an aficionado of the brand had. Today, that number went up by a significant sum, with the BMW roundel being utilized on front-wheel drive autos, family autos, hybrids and four-entryway adaptations of two-entryway cars.
So suppose that FWD autos bode well from a bookkeeper's perspective. How about we additionally expect that family autos and hybrids are an absolute necessity. Where does that leave the four-entryway cars also called Gran Coupes in Bavaria? It is safe to say that they are truly vital?
Obviously not, but rather in terms of purchasing an auto, what number of us depend on reason alone and what number of additionally consider other, more enthusiastic components? Truth is stranger than fiction, it's not generally rationale that manages. In this manner, the 6 Series Gran Coupe and the 4 Series Gran Coupe are autos implied for the man that needs a sleek appearance (just like the case with an exemplary Coupe) however more common sense and room in the back.
The 6 Series Gran Coupe has quite recently gotten a facelift, however it's basically the same as the first propelled in 2012 with some little changes here and there.
Originally meant to be a rival for the first four-door Coupe car of modern times, the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class, the 6 Series Gran Coupe is indeed a Coupe, make no mistake about it.
The designers had a precise task assigned when they were unleashed on this project, and their efforts to keep the style and feel of the Coupe intact can be noticed everywhere.
As a matter of fact, admiring the two cars in press photos might leave you a bit stunned as to how small the differences are. However, get a look at them in the metal and you’ll immediately feel that something’s off.
Up front, the headlights are the biggest change, as the new ones are less bulky and more stylish, elongated and featuring a narrower design along with new corona rings. Their lower side now makes up a visual front together with the kidney grilles that feature a sharp design, are more prominent and have 18 sculpted bars instead of 20 simple ones like before.
All three models in the 6 Series range look the same up to the A-pillar. Past that point, each one comes with a new approach. In the case of the Gran Coupe model, you get four doors instead of two, an element that stretches the body of the car by a few inches compared to the two-door version.
Point of fact, as far as size, the 6 Series Gran Coupe is closer to the 7 Series than whatever else in the extent. In unadulterated numbers, it is 4 inches longer (10 cm) than the 5 Series and has 4.5 inches (11.43 cm) more in wheelbase than the car. That puts it at only 2.7 inches (6.9 cm) beneath the 7 Series altogether length, and you can tell that is genuine each time you stop it.
That is something worth being thankful for however in the event that you're one of those individuals that looks for consideration on the grounds that the configuration of this auto will draw in the look of everybody inside of a 1-mile span. Yes, this Bimmer looks mind blowing, and it just won't go unnoticed anyplace you go.
Our analyzer was wearing Frozen Brilliant White metallic paint which is BMW language for Matte White. It costs $3,600 in the US and €5,000 in Europe however it's justified regardless of each penny as it looks essentially stunning. The measure of thumbs up we got while driving it was "too damn high" and now and again we were happy that the seating was amazingly low in the lodge as all that consideration can be a lot now and again.
Inside, the progressions are a ton more unpretentious on the 2016 model. BMW still markets this auto as offering a 4+1 seating game plan however to be completely forthright, you'd need to sit a little kid in the center seat in the back, else we couldn't envision anybody really needing to go in that little, confined space.
The seats are exquisite, even though they might seem a bit on the firm side at first. Our tester was fitted with the Comfort seats that bring heating and ventilation to the mix, and they were, in turn, dressed in the new Exclusive Nappa leather option in the Cognac/Black bi-color setup. Yes, they looked the part, especially combined with the extended leather on the dash and the fine-wood Fineline brown trims.
They work perfectly together, but we would’ve gone for a more subtle set of trims, in brushed aluminum, for example, as it would’ve suited the car better. It’s all subjective at this point though.You can’t fault the interior of the 6 Series Gran Coupe for anything really but there are a couple of things that might take you by surprise, however.
For example, we were shocked of how low the driving position is. The door panels are tall and curved towards the inside of the car, giving you the feeling that you’re sitting inside a cocoon. The small windows don't help out too much either.
The rear seats are individual and perfectly sculpted, offering considerably more space than in the two-door coupe. As a matter of fact, you’ll be sitting comfortably in the back even if you’re 6-foot tall (1.84 m), but not upright. The thing is, the low-slung roof does cut into the amount of headroom you get, and you’ll have to slide forward to fit if you’re too tall. You’ll still be comfortable though, especially since the front seats are taken straight off the Coupe and Convertible models. For example, they have the seat belts integrated and can be moved from the rear using two buttons on the side.
All of these elements show just how much the designers and engineers worked to make this car a four-door alternative to the original Coupe. The low seating position, the seats and the overall sensation you get inside are oozing the feeling of a proper coupe that simply has more room in the back and is easier to get into.
At 197.1 inches (5,006 mm), the auto is long by any scale you need to utilize and it's likewise sufficiently wide to make you sweat on tight city avenues. It isn't so much that 74.6 inches (1,895 mm) makes it anomalous wide in the hips yet you positively feel it that way while driving around town.
The perceivability isn't splendid, and you can't raise your seat a lot as you'll hit the low-threw rooftop (in case you're tall, that is). In any case, the 6 Series Gran Coupe comes as standard with Park Distance Control that will be to a great degree accommodating in tight circumstances. Obviously, we'd prescribe getting the Surround View Camera framework that will make your life a great deal less demanding after some time.
The claustrophobic feeling you get around town dissipates the minute you hit the interstate.
The motor reach starts with the 640i model, controlled by a 3-liter twin-scroll turbo inline 6-barrel petrol motor making 320 HP and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque. It's the slowest model in the reach, however it's still sufficiently vivacious to keep you out of inconvenience, in spite of the auto's 1.8 ton weight.
Up next you have the 640d model with a twin-turbo 3-liter inline 6-chamber diesel under the hood making 313 HP and 630 Nm (465 lb-ft) of torque that, adventitiously, is the one we had for testing purposes. It's all that anyone could need too, particularly on account of its wide torque band.
However, it gets upstaged by the top of the line 650i version that uses a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 making 450 HP and 650 Nm (479 lb-ft) of torque and is blazing fast doing 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.6 or 4.4 seconds depending on whether you went for xDrive or not.
Out of this line-up, we’d go for the 640d not only for its frugal character but also because of its refinement and abundance of torque. Since BMW set up this car to be a Gran Tourer, this is the one engine you should get on your 6 Series Gran Coupe if you plan to actually enjoy your car.
Sprints are done seamlessly and thanks to its Adaptive Drive optional feature, the Gran Coupe we tested felt planted at speeds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h), more than enough for any enthusiast that doesn’t plan on breaking the law too often.
The driving modes included thanks to Adaptive Drive go from ECO Pro to Comfort, Comfort Plus, Sport and Sport Plus. The inclusion of Comfort Plus is a dead giveaway of the character BMW wanted to infuse in this car. And that’s the mode we found ourselves using most of the time, with the suspension tuned in such a way as to absorb the bumps and cracks in the road with the utmost grace.
In Sport mode, the transmission wakes up, and the dampers turn extra hard while the steering becomes artificially hard. Even in the 640d the Gran Coupe is a sporty beast that will have no problem accelerating hard to 124 mph (200 km/h) even with four people inside. Yes, overtaking won’t be an issue in all the other modes either, as pressing the pedal to the proverbial metal promptly turns the chilled tourer into a mad beast.A special mention goes to the LED Adaptive lights that are now standard and do an excellent job at night outside the city. Provided you get the Selective Beam option, they create a cone of shadow around the car in front of you, offering the best visibility possible without dazzling anyone. While they were known to be faulty at times, BMW has worked them over, and they are now flawless.
Oh, and did we mention the 8-speed automatic gearbox? It’s brilliant as always, and it’s also the only choice you get, unfortunately for “enthusiasts”. However, you wouldn’t want it any other way, to be honest, as this might be a capable car in terms of dynamics but a stick shift simply wouldn’t be befitting. To top everything off, every model is available with xDrive as an optional extra.BMW had a lot of work to do on its iDrive system over the years, as the early versions were deemed as useless, stupid and other awful things by reviewers and customers alike over time. However, they stuck to their guns and now have one of the best infotainment systems on the market.
As standard, the facelifted BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe comes equipped with automated climate control, new surrounds for the iDrive display, brake energy regeneration, alarm system, anti-dazzle mirrors, seat heating, multifunctional digital display and the Professional Navigation system.
Thanks to the navigation system, you’ll not only be able to see buildings near you projected in 3D, but you’ll also be able to get traffic info if you purchase Internet connectivity.
Our tester was also fitted with the Harman Kardon sound system that is worth the €1,358 extra along with the M Sport exterior package, soft-close automatic doors, comfort access and high-beam assist for the headlights amongst others.
That’s all impressive, but what’s most noteworthy lies under the bonnet. BMW’s TwinPower technology is truly remarkable, and that’s shown by the mpg numbers our tester returned. Around town, the 640d managed an average of 10.5 l/100 km (22.4 mpg) in Comfort Plus mode with both acceleration squirts and chilled down sessions. For a car with a 3-liter bi-turbo engine under the bonnet, weighing over 1.8 tons, it’s more than respectable.
At the same time, outside the city, in highway cruising mode, the fuel consumption varied. When the car was kept at around 75 mph continuously (120 km/h) it drank around 9 l/100 km (26 mpg). Toning it down a little for various backroads, the average for outside the city cruising went down to 8.1 l/100 km (29 mpg) which is reasonable.
In terms of safety, you should also know that the 6 Series Gran Coupe comes as standard fitted with eight airbags for the front occupants, their knees and even curtain-style ones for the rear occupants. Since the EuroNCAP or IIHS haven’t tested this particular car yet, we can’t say how it would fare in one of their test courses.
However, if we’re to use the results for the 5 Series that uses the same chassis, the 6er is extremely safe. The 5er received a five-star rating overall while the adult occupant protection went as far up as 95 percent.
There’s also an 83 percent for child occupant protection, 78 percent for pedestrian protection and a score of 100 for safety assist features (such as lane departing warnings and auto breaking inside city traffic). So what’s the problem with it?
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