BMW’s largest hatchback has much to offer when glancing around the battlefield. Too bad about its aesthetics.
The BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo is quite an eerily competitive addition in the Thai luxury car market for reasons of both marketing position and product substance.
But before we get into the gist of things, just a quick refresh.
The 6 Series GT is a tall hatchback replacing the 5 Series GT, which has never officially gone on sale in Thailand.
And by mixing bits of today’s 5 and 7 Series, the latest Six ought to be priced in between those donor vehicles.
Which is why we instantly arrive to the first good part of the 6 Series GT. In six-pot diesel form, the 630d GT is priced at 4.699 million baht, a good 1.6 million baht more than the 730Ld luxury saloon.
From another end, the similarly conceptualised 5 Series Touring is only 160k cheaper than the 630d GT in 530i petrol form.
Previously, BMW sold the other Sixes (Coupe, Convertible and Gran Coupe) at virtually the prices of the 7 Series. That said, the rejigged pricing strategy is making the 630d GT look cool in the showroom.
And it doesn’t stop here. Although the 265hp 630d GT is without an exact rival, some intended opponents are priced more ambitiously together with some traditional saloons from Jaguar and Lexus.
The closest one is the Audi A7 Sportback priced at 5.399 million with 340hp of petrol performance, while the other is the Mercedes-Benz CLS300d whose 245hp of diesel grunt costs 4.98 million baht.
Helping its positively financial cause in the showroom is the packaging of the vehicle itself.
With an overall length and wheelbase stretching over 5m and 3m respectively, the 6 Series GT has plenty of occupant space nearing that of the 7 Series rather than 5. As well, the boot is impressively large even when the rear backrests are still in their places.
Apart from being highly practical and versatile (considering what the others in this price rank has to offer, if you don’t count SUVs), the 6 Series GT offers plenty of comfort as well.
The front seats have plenty of adjustment, while the rear chairs can slightly recline. Just don’t expect the fifth occupant to have comfortable cushions.
However, that splendid package for four seems to have severely traded off with the design of the 6 Series GT.
The relatively tall body and clumsy window lines (just like in the smaller 3 Series GT, which is rumoured to be called 4 Series GT in next-gen form), make for an unappealing overall appearance, at least in the eyes of this tester.
And if you thought that BMW merely intends to sell the 6 Series GT without emotions, think again. Like in the A7 Sportback, CLS and BMW’s Gran Coupe and GT cars, the 6 Series GT has framless windows on all four doors.
Such a feature may look cool, but it makes the closing of the doors flimsy. Thankfully, there’s a soft-shut operation to avoid any unpleasant aural clunks in a near-five million baht import.
As the 630d GT is being sold just in M Sport trim in Thai showrooms, the cabin is a nice place to be in with touches of aluminium here and there, plus an M-like steering with a thick rim to hold onto. And combined with an infotainment that’s one of the best around to use, the interior is ergonomically sound.
But don’t let that chunky steering wheel lead you to sporty driving experience. As how we found out during our first taste of the 6 Series GT in Europe late last year, this quasi-looking hatchback is all about comfort. It almost appears that BMW is trying to attract clients who aren’t longtime fans of the brand.
The primary ride in the 630d GT, for one, is on the plush side with no choice of stiffening it via an adjustable suspension of some sort. In addition, the steering is light and feels quite leisurely in both a straight line and during cornering.
However, there’s nothing really wrong about the softly sprung chassis (the run-flat tyres occasionally spoil the secondary ride) because it’s quite absorbent over patchy road surfaces yet maintaining good body control at highway speeds.
In short, the driving experience is dull but secure. The Sport mode of the drive selector beefs up the steering weight and engine response, although you’ll probably crave more for the latter facet when you want to drive briskly.
The Thai BMW office may have all kinds of reasons to specify this and that model with different kinds of drive propulsion, but the 265hp 3.0-litre straight-six diesel is fine choice for the 6 Series GT.
The 630d GT pulls away with strong conviction during all kinds of real-world driving conditions, although it’s slightly breathless below 2,000rpm. And given its ample power and torque reserves, the 15kpl or so of average fuel consumption outside the city is quite reasonable.
With such a combination of power and driving comfort, the 630d GT is conceptually perfect for the family man who needs something a little different from the already rare estate variation like the 5 Series Touring.
Now, that’s if you can live with the gawky looks of the bigger of the two. And if you can, expect yourself to end up in a BMW that hardly feels like one when it comes to driving bit.
Who knows, maybe BMW is trying to convert customers from other brands who don’t necessarily need an entertaining but fuss-free driving experience. Objectively speaking, the 630d GT offers quite a lot for the price in relation to the slightly varied battlefield.
