BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe

BMW may be a bit late to the ‘four door coupe’ party – Mercedes, Audi and even Porsche have had a stab at making them – but that doesn’t mean the new Gran Coupe isn’t worthy of being on your shortlist.

Most of the critics appear to be hugely impressed with BMW’s new cross-genre car, with praise being given to the Gran Coupe’s qualities as a sporting grand tourer, along with the excellent drivetrains and desirable looks. However, it’s by no means the cheapest car in this class.

Interior

Apart from a few redesigns such as a more contoured dash, most of the centre console is identical to what you’d find in the normal 6 Series, so you get a high quality and well styled dashboard, with good storage and easy-to-use controls.

The biggest changes, though, are in the back – thanks to the stretched wheelbase and the slightly higher roofline, there’s more space for rear passengers when compared with the two-door Sixes. The boot is also, at 460 litres, the same size as the one on the standard cars, though the Gran Cabrio’s rear seats do fold down completely flat, which isn’t a feature on the shorter 6 Series models.

There are a few practicality drawbacks, though. The boot aperture is a bit restrictive, and the styling of the rear doors does inhibit entry to the back bench. It’s also worth pointing out that the middle rear seat isn’t ideal for long journeys – it’s on the narrow size, and the positioning of the centre console means you’ll have to spread your legs akimbo if you’re relegated to that pew!

Driving

The experts were initially sceptical about the handling qualities of the Gran Coupe when it was announced, but the way the BMW drives seems to have surpassed many critics’ expectations. Most were hugely impressed with the Gran Coupe’s poise and balance for such a large and heavy car (though a few did say it was ‘sporting’ rather than ‘sporty’), and a handful thought it was better to drive than the standard 6 Series. Some even thought it was dynamically superior to the 5 Series!

The Gran Coupe also appears to do a fine job as a more relaxed cruiser – bar a slight hint of wind whistle around the wing mirrors, most of the reviews state the cabin is very refined, and the ride quality is good, even in the firmer ‘Sport’ setting, and the eight-speed gearbox works brilliantly in both manual and automatic modes.

However, it’s not all plain sailing. As the driver’s seat is set down low, a few thought visibility fore and aft was restricted, which isn’t that ideal in a car that feels large on narrow roads and is over 5m long! At least BMW have the kindness to fit the Gran Coupe with parking sensors as standard, which should help with tight manoeuvres.

Engines

Like the standard 6 Series, there’s a fairly restricted range of engines on offer, all of which are turbocharged – one diesel and two petrols. Thankfully, they’re all brilliant, as all the critics had high praise for their power and performance, along with impressive levels of refinement and affordable running costs.

Most of the critics reckon the diesel 640d is the one to go for, as it’s just as fast as the similarly priced 640i petrol, yet is much cheaper to run, thanks to a very impressive claimed fuel economy figure of 50 mpg, which trumps the equivalent petrol’s 36 mpg.

If you’re the sort of person who wants a bit more poke and can afford the extra fuel and tax bills, then there’s always the 650i with its 4.4 V8. And if that’s not enough, then you may want to wait for the 552bhp M6 Gran Coupe which is just around the corner…

Value for money

When compared with the shorter 6 Series on which it’s based, the Gran Coupe does look like good value for money. Though it will vary depending on the options and trim levels you go for, BMW states the Gran Coupe is about £1,800 more expensive than the equivalent two door Sixes, which isn’t too bad given you the extra practicality and ‘desirability’. It also comes with a decent amount of kit as standard, such as a 10.2 inch touchscreen, stop/start and dual-zone climate control.

However, from other perspectives, the Bimmer does start to look a bit pricey. Most of the car’s rivals are noticeably cheaper – even the Porsche Panamera Diesel costs a wee bit less than the most basic Gran Coupe! – and, as with most German executive cars, ticking the option boxes can bring the sales figure to sky high levels. For example, one tester’s demonstrator, which was stuffed to the brim with optional extras, had a list price of over £90,000!

Worth noting

Though the general consensus is that the Gran Coupe rides well, opinions seem to be mixed over the comfort levels, dependent on the size of the wheels and the tyres used. Some thought that the quality of the ride was more than adequate on 20inch rims with run-flat tyres, whilst others didn’t seem to share that opinion.

Conclusion

All in all, the BMW Gran Coupe is a very well sorted and desirable executive four-door. It looks great, has a fabulous range of engines, is surprisingly very good to drive and, unlike the normal 6 Series, can actually carry four people in comfort.

It’s by no means the cheapest in its class, and the styling does bring with it some compromises regarding practicality – the equivalent 5 Series which it shares quite a lot with is more spacious and costs less to buy – but that doesn’t mean you should discount it entirely. On the contrary, it appears to be a very capable all-rounder, and is worth considering if you’re in the market for a ‘four door coupe’.