BMW 6 Series GT - An Alternative to SUVs
In the world of increasing SUVs even with marque names like Lamborghini with its Urus, Masearti with its Levente and Porsche with its Cheyenne and Macan series - BMW has attempted to plug into every segment it can imagine despite having a healthy X1 to X6 (soon to be X7 range). This has resulted in the BMW 6 GT which in a previous generation was known as the BMW 5 GT. What a difference the new car makes!
With a chassis borrowed from the flagship 7 series the new G32 series is long - some 5091 mm exactly which is a whopping 87 mm longer than the 5 GT it replaces. It is shorter in height though and it thus gives the new car an aggressive and sporting stance which the 5 GT had no claim whatsoever. What a difference one generation to the next makes including the upgrade of the badge to a 6 series !
The GT or Gran Turismo in BMW speak is an interesting vehicle and by this I mean GOOD. Privileged to have the chance to drive the 630i I was at first hesitant of the fact that despite wearing a 630 badge it had a 2.0 litre engine. Another brand bending to the Euro 6 regulations I suppose but this is no ordinary 2 litre as the Power output of 190 kW and Torque of 400 Nm meant that it is no slouch and I can vouch for that having driven the vehicle around Perth for two days. Glance back and you will see a trend here even with the now imported Holden Commodore producing about the same kW power in a 2.0 litre engine....
Still harking on the engine...I like my 6 cylinder whether in in-line or V formats but the harmonic frequency and resonance of this engine with its turbo boost is as close as I can feel to a 6 cylinder. Trust me I have had a suite of BMWs in the garage before from the first generation X5, to the sweet in-line 6 of a BMW 325i, BMW 735i (which was actually a small V8 engine!), BMW 525i and now the BMW 730d in the current model range.... The fuel economy and power of this BMW630 GT makes sense !
The internals of the BMW 630 GT seemed to have been stolen straight off the M Sports series of my 730d with technology like gesture control, various ambient lighting, roller blinds, acres of room space and a instrument cluster which was instantly recognisable to me. And it has a carrying capacity which also shames most SUVs including BMWs X5 and X6 ! Perhaps this would have been a better car to purchase to carry my bicycle with the total storage (with seats down) an amazing 1800 litres which is again 100 litres more than the outgoing 5 GT model it replaces. Oh...I did mention that this is vehicle is a hatchback right?!
The BMW 6 Series comes in two variants - the Luxury Line and the M Sport Package. The car I drove had the latter with cool M brakes (in blue colour) which gives the vehicle a more sporty look then again I am biased as the M badge does wonderful things to the ego !
Further on technology the 630i GT also has 'breather grills' which open and close to moderate engine temperature and improve fuel efficiency, the usual start / stop function which is now becoming standard in most cars but has added hip technology like retractable spoilers (yeah!) and frameless doors to give it its GT creed. Then there is 4WS or 4 wheels steering which I encountered firstly in my 1993 Honda Prelude VTR some decades ago which is much better refined and definite as the steering wheel in the 630 GT series
This would have been the vehicle I would have purchased if it was around when the BMW 730d was presented to me and I would probably also try out the 640i xDrive which produces 250 kW and 450 Nm torque from a 6 cylinder engine ! Then again not everyone lugs around a bike, triathlon equipment and event management equipment in their boot which in all sincerity the BMW 7 series acquits itself well !!
Special thanks to Paul Silverton the Special BMW Vehicles Manager for his ever patience with my love for cars and Auto Classic BMW for loaning me the BMW 630i GT for this write up. Go visit them at their uber cool showroom at Burswood as the 6 GT is a SERIOUS alternate to the SUV with much better handling and footprint on the road.
Ian Wee is a part time Motor enthusiast with more cars owned and driven then he can remember over the past 50 years. Cars are his passion apart from his profession in Sports Medicine, his current research on biometric technology for the performance and developing athlete as well as his sports directorship in triathlons, swimming, cycling and running. Look out for his next blog soon!
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6 年BMW, its like wearing a sharp suit with a pair of sneakers. What are they exactly? Bring back Bangle!
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6 年I love BMW's I really do, but recently they've gone a bit awol. This is basically the 5 series GT. I don't get these cars, there is already the Gran Coupe which looks like a 6 series, but gives you practicality with 2 additional doors in that Merc CLS style silhouette. The 4 series for example was introduced to become what we know as the 3 Series Coupe, yet the realised the 4 door version of the 4 series........why don't you buy the 3 Series? This car is not an SUV, it's a saloon / hatch vehicle. An Audi A6 Allroad is an Alternative SUV. What we have here is a car with the front end taken from the 7 Series to be called the 6 GT, so in actual fact BMW have created 7 Series hatch back.........
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6 年Cost-wise BMW has never been in the ball-park. Perhaps the recent 2 series has approached affordability,but not in reality. Honda has always done it better.