The BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo has finally run its course, but before you pop the champagne cork note that a successor is coming.
That successor is the 6-Series Gran Turismo which was revealed by BMW on Tuesday. The luxury hatchback is due in showrooms in the fall, as a 2018 model, and has been priced to start at $70,695, including destination.
That’s up on the $64,195 starting price of a comparable 2017 5-Series GT, but the 6-Series GT is a sleeker, sexier car. It’s also now a more credible alternative to rival offerings such as the Audi A7 and Mercedes-Benz CLS.
The length is 200.9 inches, which sizes it between the 5- and 7-Series sedans. And it’s a heavy beast at 4,409 pounds, though the performance isn’t lacking for the class.
2018 BMW 6-Series Gran Turismo
For the 2018 model year, the 6-Series GT will be offered exclusively in 640i xDrive guise. This model is powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 delivering 335 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque and sends drive to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission.
BMW quotes a 0-60 mph time of 5.1 seconds. The top speed is 130 mph but can be raised, at cost, to a still-governed 155 mph.
More powertrain options should be offered shortly after launch. One of these is likely to be the 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 borrowed from the M550i xDrive, where it delivers a stout 455 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque. Another should be a plug-in hybrid setup.
Although it’s badged as a 6-Series, the 6-Series GT is unrelated to the 6-Series Convertible and 6-Series Gran Coupe that’s also on offer for the 2018 model year. (The 6-Series coupe has been dropped.) That’s because the 6-Series GT rides on BMW’s modular CLAR platform found in the 5-Series and 7-Series.
2018 BMW 6-Series Gran Turismo
That means the 6-Series GT benefits from BMW’s latest tech goodies, many of which are featured as standard. The list includes LED headlights, self-leveling air suspension at the rear axle to help with heavy loads, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen display, voice activation and gesture control.
The 6-Series GT is also BMW’s first model equipped as standard with a variety of electronic driver aids grouped under the Active Driving Assistant heading. These include collision warning, blind spot warning, lane departure warning, rear cross traffic alert, and speed limit info.
More advanced adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, front across traffic alert systems are included in an available Driving Assistant Plus Package.
The 5-Series GT was never a big seller for BMW, so the automaker is taking a risk by pricing its successor even higher. The more handsome look of the 6-Series GT should help its cause, but we have to wonder if it will end up stealing sales from the more expensive 7-Series.
