BMW 6 Series review

The newest addition to BMW's 6 Series range has arrived

Pros: Luxurious cabin, soothing comfort, refined engines

Cons: Styling not for everyone, not exciting to drive

Farewell to the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, and hello to the car that replaces it for 2018, the all-new 6 Series Gran Turismo. The 6 Series GT blends  the best attributes of the BMW 5 Series and 7 Series into a luxurious hatchback package, and it arrives on the market together with the new Audi A7 Sportback and Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class. The 6 Series GT is large on luxury, space and practicality, but can it prove successful against the established elite? We spent a week with this BMW 630d GT M Sport model on Irish roads recently to find out. 

BMW 6 Series GT

What is it like?

The 6 Series GT is a long and luxurious five-door Coupe, so long in fact that its wheelbase matches the latest BMW 7 Series. The 6 Series GT’s styling is less divisive than the outgoing 5 Series GT which it replaces, and the roofline is considerably lower too. Gone is the dual tailgate too in favour of a conventional hatchback boot, which shaves weight and improves practicality. The 6 Series GT offers more ground clearance than most of its BMW stablemates, and this means it has considerable presence from the outside. We drove a high specification M Sport model which is likely to be the popular choice in Ireland, and it’s kitted out with M Aerodynamic body styling and optional 20-inch M Double Spoke alloy wheels for a sportier finish. 

630d GT

The BMW 6 Series GT is incredibly luxurious inside and immensely roomy, with enough leg room to keep very tall passengers satisfied. The cabin is airy and dressed in high quality materials, including soft-touch leather with stitched lining and aluminium accents. The centre console layout is similar to the latest 5 Series, with BMW’s integrated touch screen infotainment system centre stage. Our test car is fitted with BMW’s optional Rear Seat Comfort Package, which adds sun blinds for the rear windows, heated and electrically-adjustable rear seats and a pair of TV screens, so it is incredibly luxurious for rear seat passengers. The 6 Series GT has an electric tailgate as standard and 610 litres of luggage space inside, which is enough to rival most large luxury SUVs. 

6 Series Interior

The 6 Series GT is available with two petrol engines in the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder 630i or the 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder 640i. We drove the sole diesel model in the range (630d), and it’s likely to be the best-seller here in Ireland. The 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbocharged 630d delivers 261bhp and 620Nm of torque, and it is incredibly refined and quiet on the move. The 6 Series GT is only available with BMW’s eight speed transmission, though buyers can choose between a standard rear-wheel-drive platform or BMW’s optional X-Drive all-wheel-drive. Our rear-wheel-drive 630d delivered punchy performance with 0-100km/h taking just over six seconds, and it’s is a frugal performer, with €280 annual motor tax and fuel economy rated at 4.7l/100km. 

6 Series Brake Lights

Out on the road, the 6 Series GT is remarkably refined, most noticeably on long motorway-based journeys. It corners and grips very well for such a sizeable car, even on tight and twisty back roads, however it isn’t particularly exciting to drive. That’s to be expected however, as the 6 Series GT emphasises on comfort over handling, which is why it has a Comfort Plus mode in favour of BMW's usual Sport Plus. Our test car is the rear-wheel-drive model and BMW’s X-Drive all-wheel-drive is available at an additional cost. If truth be told, the rear-wheel-drive suffices for most needs, and the 6 Series GT is best enjoyed at steady cruising speeds. 

6 Series TV Screens

Prices for the new BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo start from €66,500 including BMW Ireland discounts, which makes it the most affordable model in BMW’s 6 Series range. There are two specifications to choose from, and the entry level SE model is highly equipped with features such as a reversing assist camera, a panoramic sunroof, heated front seats, ambient lighting, adaptive LED headlights, BMW’s navigation System Professional system and Digital cockpit. Our M Sport specification test car is the range-topping model, and it also has a suite of optional extras including BMW’s Technology Package, Premium Package and a Rear Seat Comfort Package. The combined cost of these packages is over €20k, and bumps the price tag of our test car to a whopping €103,475.

M Sport Wheels

Carzone verdict: 4/5

The new BMW 6 Series GT is an admirable replacement for the 5 Series GT, and a much-improved one at that too. The 6 Series GT matches most large luxury SUVs for boot space and practicality, yet it is more comfortable and enjoyable to drive on the open road. That said, its styling remains quite divisive and it isn’t as engaging to drive as the other models in the 6 Series range such as the Coupe and Gran Coupe. 

Test Car Details:

Model driven: BMW 6 Series 630d GT M Sport

Prices from: €66,560 incl. discounts

Price as tested: €103,475

Annual Road Tax: €280

Engine: 2293cc six-cylinder turbocharged diesel

Power: 261hp

Top Speed: 250km/h

0-100km/h: 6.1 seconds

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Body style: Hatchback

Boot Space: 610 litres

BMW 6 GT

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