BMW has given the G32 6 Series Gran
Turismo a facelift, or LCI (Life Cycle Impulse) if you follow the company’s
lingo. In terms of the exterior design, the 6
GT’s kidney grille at the front has been recontoured and slightly widened,
complete with a single-piece surround. The grille matches neatly with sleeker
headlamps, which adopt the same L-shaped LED daytime running light signature as
the new 5er.
Those headlamps are offered as full-LED units as standard and
include an adaptive cornering function and BMW Selective Beam non-dazzling
High-beam Assistant with matrix technology. Other changes include a redesigned and more
aggressive front apron, where you’ll find the intake below the grille has now been
divided into three segments. This is flanked by two vertically arranged inlets
in the bumper corners that work with the car’s Air Curtains, accentuated by
arrow-shaped structures.
As for the rear, the updates are a little
less pronounced by comparison, with the horizontal contour line below the boot
lid made to be more strongly defined and now extends into the flanks of the
body. Additionally, the exhaust tailpipe finishers integrated into the bumper
are made to appear even more trapezoidal in shape than before. Cars fitted with
the M Sport package will come with a low-set front bumper lip and a prominent
rear diffuser element for better aerodynamics. Amber, Portimao Blue (for M
Sport cars), along with some from the BMW Individual catalogue – Dravite Grey,
Tanzanite Blue and Alvit Grey have also been added. Those with the M Sport
package and prefer a stealthy black look can opt for the High-gloss Shadowline
package, and the package comes with two options for the brake calipers,
including a blue or red finish with the M logo.
Inside, the biggest change is the adoption
of the Live Cockpit Professional system, which is now standard with two
12.3-inch displays. As we’ve seen in many recent BMW models, one screen acts as
the digital instrument cluster display, while the other handles infotainment.
This is linked to BMW Operationg System 7.0 (or iDrive 7) and you get the usual
gamut of functions like the Intelligent Personal Assistant, smartphone
integration and other connected features. As you’d expect, there’s a wide range
of options made available, incuding Sensatec leather dashboard trim, an
electrically powered rear seat bench, massage function for the front seats, BMW
Individual trims and upholsteries, four-zone climate control (replaces the
standard two-zone system), a panoramic glass sunroof, soft-closing doors, lighting
packages, a Bowers & Wilkins sound system and rear-seat entertainment (dual
10.25-inch displays).
At launch, the 6 GT will come with two
petrol and three diesel engine options, all of which feature a 48-volt mild
hybrid system with a starter-generator. This provides an additional 11 PS boost when needed, and the system works with an 11-Ah battery
in the engine compartment to also provide smoother auto start stop and coasting
functions. In the petrol camp, the range starts with the 630i, which packs a
2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder delivering 258 PS and 400 Nm of
torque. This is followed by the 640i and 640i xDrive, both using a 3.0 litre
turbo straight-six with 333 PS and 450 Nm.
On the diesel front, the 620d kicks things
off with a 2.0 litre turbo-four rated at 190 PS and 400 Nm. A notch
above are the 630d and 630d xDrive that pack a 3.0 litre turbodiesel
straight-six with 286 PS and 650 Nm, while the most powerful of the
bunch is the 640d xDrive with the same engine but tuned to 340 PS and
700 Nm.
All engines are paired with an eight-speed
Steptronic automatic transmission by default, but customers can opt for a
Steptronic Sport gearbox for even sportier shift characteristics and faster
gear changes, with a launch control function to boot. BMW’s xDrive all-wheel
drive system is present too, according to the variant names mentioned above. For
the chassis, self-levelling air suspension at the rear axle comes as standard,
which can be upgraded to an adaptive two-axle setup with active roll
stabilisation (under Executive Drive) for better comfort. All-wheel steering
(Integral Active Steering) can also be added on, along with a choice of new
19-, 20- and 21-inch light-alloy wheels.
Lastly, safety and driver assist systems
like cruise control with brake function and the Attentiveness Assistant are
standard, with plenty of options to bolster the suite. These include Active
Cruise Control with Stop & Go function that piles on adaptive cruise
control, Speed Limit Info and front collision warning with brake intervention. Tick
the Driving Assistant box and you’ll get Lane Departure Warning, Lane Change
Warning, Speed Limit Assist, the aforementioned AEB, rear cross traffic alert
and rear collision warning.
Going higher, there’s the Driving
Assistant Professional Pacakge that further adds Steering and Lane Control
Assistant, Lane Keeping Assistant with active side collision protection,
Emergency Stop Assistant, Automatic Speed Limit Assist, front cross traffic
alert, Evasion Assistant, junction warning as well as wrong-way driving warning.
Customers also have access to Parking Assistant and Parking Assistant Plus to
make parking and manoeuvring easier by way of an around-view 3D monitor, Remote
Control Parking via BMW Display Key and a digital video recorder.