BMW has decided to launch its tall hatchback, now known as the 6-series GT, in Thailand later this year. Should punters with money to spare be roused?
When BMW decided to revive the 6-series moniker some 15 years back, it included two body styles in the guise of the Coupe and Convertible, later followed by the sleek four-door saloon called Gran Coupe.
But throughout the following years, it wasn’t all roses for the Munich-based luxury carmaker. No, the three Sixes were actually good cars to drive, but the main culprit were their price points against some potential rivals from Audi and Mercedes-Benz.
The entry-level, six-cylindered 640i, for one, costed nearly 10 million baht in Thailand. Not only did it cost twice as much as a four-pot CLS from Mercedes, but it was also dearer than the 7-series saloon. And considering BMW’s model-naming hierarchy, that didn’t make sense.
Which is why BMW is planning to the make the next-generation Coupe as the 8-series (reviving another nameplate from the dust). In fact, the new 8-series has already been shown in concept form this year and will also include a high-performance M8 version.
So where does the leave BMW with the soon-to-be vacated 6-series model range? Just last month, the gentlemen from Munich have used the Frankfurt motor show to premiere the all-new 6-series GT (Gran Turismo) which is essentially a successor for the 5-series GT (that never went on sale in Thailand on an official basis).
Although BMW once pledged that models starting with even-numbers would be sporty derivatives of odd-numbered variants, that isn’t the case anymore. That’s why the 2-series family had spawned somehow gawky MPVs known as the Active/Gran Tourer. As well, the next-generation 3-series GT is reportedly set to be known as 4-series GT.
BMW freely concedes that the 6-series GT (codenamed G32) can’t adopt the high price positions of those three aforementioned Sixes and stresses that it will need to be placed just above today’s 5-series and more away from the 7-series. That also means that the 6-series GT will have to compete head-on with the CLS and A7 Sportback, both of which will be renewed in next-generation forms by next year.
But don’t consider the 6-series GT to merely be another niche product of the 5-series albeit with marked-up prices. In fact, there are some valid reasons why it should really be called a 6-series. The underpinnings, for one, mixes chassis elements from both the 5- and 7-series. And with overall length and wheelbase measuring some 5m and 3m accordingly, the 6-series GT is actually offering interior space of BMW’s flagship saloon (the regular wheelbase form and not the stretched one that’s currently being offered in Thailand).
Boot has more space than in a 5-series estate.
Jump into the cabin of the 6-series GT and those on-paper stats seem to be justified. Whether you’re going to be seated up front or in the rear, there’s plenty of head and legroom – clearly more than in the 5-series saloon. And the luggage room in the 6-series GT is also very expansive on the eyes with BMW claiming space being superior to that in the 5-series Touring estate model.
Unlike the 5-series GT which had a boot lid that can open like in a saloon or hatchback, the 6-series GT only sports the style of the latter. Even so, the 6-series GT has a highly practical package.
A carried-over highlight, though, is easy entry and exit into and from the car which is something BMW says costumers want. The seats are placed a little higher than usual so that the feeling isn’t too low as in a saloon nor too high as in an SUV (like the X5). Bluntly put, the 6-series GT should appeal to elderlies – the same main customer target of its predecessor.
That partially explains why the 6-series GT has a rather bloated profile. Practically all testers at the car’s international driving trials in Portugal this month agree that the 6-series GT can’t match the styling panache of either the A7 Sportback or CLS Shooting Brake, both placing sleek and dynamic looks over practicality.
BMW has tried to inject some sportiness into the 6-series GT by fitted frameless windows on all four doors. That seems to be unnecessary because the car isn’t really meant to be sporty in the first place. As well, such portals don’t close with a convincing thump, although the soft-shut operation is there to somehow compensate.
The driver’s cockpit resembles that of the 5-series more than the 7-series. But as soon as you set off in the 6-series GT, it feels bigger and closer to that of the flagship Bimmer principally because of the car’s width and big bonnet. And yes, the focus of the 6-series GT’s driving characteristics lean on the comfort side of things.
The steering in the 6-series GT is light and numb giving the driver a sense of detachment from the road. Sure, the direct steering, the optional xDrive all-wheel-drive and rear-wheel steering are all good enough to make the driving experience safe, easy and predictable, but it simply lacks the fun factor BMWs are usually known for.
But to be fair, such comfort-oriented manners should suffice to the car’s given target of buyers. And because of this, the 6-series GT has one strong point over its forebear: greater cruising refinement and silkier ride quality. Of course, there’s the usual Sport mode to turn up the wick for the both the suspension and steering, although you might not really want to crave for it because that’s not the name of the game for the 6-series GT.
Six-pot petrol motor offers plenty of oomph.
All test cars provided for the media were powered by the 340hp 3.0-litre petrol-turbo, allied to eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive transmission. As a result, the so-called 640i never felt lifeless on the country roads outside of Lisbon. In fact, there’s a high level of power reserve with refinement to match.
But the variance that’s coming to Thailand later this year is the rear-drive 630d powered by a 3.0-litre diesel-turbo that has a lesser 265hp but a higher 620Nm of torque. Judging from other BMWs with this engine, this oil-burner is certainly capable enough for the 6-series GT.
The Thai BMW office is hoping to keep the 630d’s price at under five million baht to avoid any shame from the CLS250d. No, the 630d isn’t expected to be a big seller in Thailand due to its imported status and for what it really is. In terms of practicality, there’s the X5 (and 5-series Touring, should BMW Thailand decide to sell it in the latest generation). And if Thais really cared about cabin space, then the slightly dearer 730Ld and 740Le should do the trick.
As just said, you’d really have to accept what the 6-series GT has been designed for, which is something that’s not guaranteed to work in this country even if China – the biggest market for this particular Bimmer – shares many tastes with other countries in Asia.
In the end, the 6-series GT might just be another niche product that hasn’t got the right levels of desirability even though pricing wouldn’t be a serious issue as in the other Sixes that are about to expire in their current generations.
