This pretty new BMW Gran Turismo will span the gap between sedan and SUV

BMW always has been very good at building coupes. So much so that coupes have their own place in the BMW naming convention - any model with an even number such as 2-Series or 4-series is either a two-door Coupe of a four-door Gran Coupe.

That all makes sense. But now we have to confuse things just a little by going one step further in explaining this naming convention.

That's because there have been other vehicles that look like coupes but aren't. They're five-door fastbacks that BMW likes to call Gran Turismo. The intention is for such a vehicle to span the middle ground between a sedan and an estate, with a little bit of SUV thrown in via a higher driving position.

One recent example has been the 5-Series Gran Turismo, essentially a fastback version of the previous-generation 5-Series sedan. Thankfully it never was sold new in New Zealand, because it was heavily criticised for looking ungainly-looking, particularly when viewed from the rear.

But now the clumsy 5-Series GT has gone, and it is being replaced by a brand-new model that has to rate as one of the prettiest cars of the entire BMW selection. And the good news is that this one is coming to New Zealand.

The car is the 6-Series Gran Turismo, which has just enjoyed its world media launch in Portugal, and which will arrive on our shores in mid-November.

And why is it called 6-Series when it is replacing a 5? Well, apart from the fact it looks more like a coupe than a sedan, the understanding is that it is all part of a plan involving replacement of the now-discontinued 6-Series Coupe and Cabriolet models with brand-new 8-Series models over the next couple of years, and phasing out of the current 650i Gran Coupe in favour of this new GT.

It's all so BMW can put greater emphasis on luxury at the upper end of its vehicle lineup. The 8-Series, which will essentially be coupe versions of the current 7-Series sedan, will probably be marketed as competition against the likes of coupe versions of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Bentley Continental GT.

And that will leave it to the 6-Series Gran Turismo to go to work on its own, taking direct aim at such product as the Audi A7 Sportback and the Mercedes-Benz CLS Coupe.

While four different versions of the 6-Series GT are being launched internationally, BMW New Zealand is taking just one model - a fully-loaded 640i xDrive, which will retail for $155,600.

At the media launch, BMW engineers said the 6-Series GT has been created by combining the best of the current 5-Series and 7-Series, in doing so becoming the third model to be built using the brand's lightweight Cluster Architecture (CLAR) platform.




Essentially this GT is a vehicle of two halves, with the front based on the 7-Series and the rear based on the 5-Series Touring so there can be as much rear load space as possible. That's important, because the whole point of BMW's Gran Turismo concept is so the vehicle can be as luxurious and spacious as possible, perfect for long-distance motoring.

As a result, the GT is second only to the X5 SUV as regards room for cargo - with all seats in use it offers a capacious 610 litres, growing to 1800 litres when the rear seats are folded down.

What is really impressive about this very large load area is that it doesn't impact at all on available legroom for passengers sitting in the rear seats. There's plenty of space, to the extent my feet were hardly under the front seats during a stint riding in the back of the new BMW during that Portuguese event. Those rear seats electronically recline too, for added comfort - particularly when you can lay your head into pillow-soft rear headrests.

Since New Zealand did not take the 5-Series Gran Turismo, it is hardly worth comparing the new against the old, but there are a few measurements that are relevant because they underline what this vehicle is all about.

The 6-Series GT is 87mm longer and with a 7-Series wheelbase, which explains that superb amount of room.

Even though the vehicle height has been reduced by 21mm to a new 1538mm, there is improved interior headroom. And impressively, this is despite the fact the hip points of the seats have been raised so the vehicle can be easier to get in and out of, and also so the person behind the wheel can enjoy more of a "command" driving position.

So it's a well designed car. Sort of SUV-lite rather than low-slung coupe, you might say.

As we said earlier, the 5-Series GT was criticised for being somewhat ungainly in its looks, even though it was said to have done everything required of it from a practicality point of view.

You certainly can't criticise this new 6-Series GT for its appearance. It features a beautifully curved roofline that sweeps deep to a rear that is 64mm lower than with the 5-Series. The rear is pretty too, featuring design elements that accentuate the width of the car. It also features a rear spoiler that pops up at speeds of more than 110kmh.

The model for New Zealand is powered by BMW's well-known 3.0-litre TwinPower straight six engine that in this iteration offers 250kW of power at 5300rpm and a generous 450Nm of torque from 1380rpm. That's sufficient to make the vehicle a solid performer, able to get to 100kmh in 5.3 seconds - pretty good for a big car.

Helping in that regard is the fact the new GT is 150kg lighter than the 5-Series it replaces, primarily thanks to the use of that new lightweight platform.

Our 640i will come with the xDrive all-wheel drive which helps make it a secure handler, and also helping in that regard will be a two-axle air suspension system with automatic self-levelling. It will also have dynamic damper control, active roll stabilisation and active steering.

This all contributes to an outstanding drive. During the Portuguese media event there was the opportunity to take the 640i Gran Turismo out on drive circuits that included some hill work and beachfront cruising before opening things up a little along the motorways with their 120kmh speed limits.

It was a nice experience in a luxurious and roomy new BMW. The whole point of this car is for it to offer the long-distance comfort of a sedan, the room of an estate, a bit of the higher seating position of an SUV, and the aesthetic appeal of a coupe. Our first opinion of the new 640i Gran Turismo is that it achieves all of that in spades.