BMW 6 Series 640i Gran Coupe 3.0 Review: Six-ual healing

What we like:

Looks dramatic and superb

well-judged proportions

superbly executed interior

strong turbocharged performance

excellent ride

impressive levels of rear head and legroom

superbly equipped

What we dislike:

Some noticeable body movements even in ‘Sport’ mode

seats only four comfortably

premium pricing

Up front the Gran Coupe shares its driver-oriented dashboard with the 6 Series coupe and convertible models rather than the 5 Series’. The swoopy dashboard features a large widescreen iDrive screen and a centre console that is angled slightly towards the driver. The instruments are shared with the 5 and 7 Series models but the dash’s wave-like flowing design is unique to the 6 Series models. The electrically adjustable front seats not only look plush but also are superbly comfortable and supportive. Oddly for a four-door model, the front seat belts are integrated on the seats like in the coupe, making it a tad unintuitive when reaching for the belts.

Obviously, the Gran Coupe’s longer wheelbase over the coupe’s translates to more generous amounts of knee and legroom for rear passengers. Moreover, the Gran Coupe’s sloping and swoopy roofline hasn’t restricted rear headroom – rear passengers will never feel claustrophobic n here. Ingress and egress to the rear is also a breeze – rear occupants will not need to crane their necks to get into the rear like with the first generation CLS.

The Gran Coupe features what BMW calls a 4+1 seating arrangement, which means the rear seats two comfortably while a third passenger can occasionally occupy the middle seat at the back. This ‘+1’ passenger though, needs to uncomfortably spread his or her legs when seated in the centre as the centre console sits over the transmission hump with the rear climate control switches and air-con vents also placed on this console.

Build quality and perceived luxury levels are high, higher than in the 5 Series models. The dashboard and door cards are covered in soft touch materials and it does feel more special to be in here when compared to being in a 5 or 3 Series saloon model.

To reflect its premium pricing, the Gran Coupe even in base 640i form here, is lavishly equipped with standard kit and luxuries. These include Adaptive Drive with Dynamic Damper Control and Dynamic Drive, rear view camera, Park Distance Control (PDC) front and rear, cruise control, adaptive LED headlamps, LED foglamps, High-beam assist, rear sun blinds, four-zone climate control, soft-close doors, glass roof, sat nav, Head-up display, BMW Connected Drive, 19-inch wheels and so on. The car in the pictures here comes with the optional Bang & Olufsen high end Surround Sound system.

The 6 Series Gran Coupe’s well-honed styling and proportions are more than enough to make it such a convincing prospect and it's safe to say that it has the substance to match its style. It might be a relative late comer to the four-door coupe party but the 6 Series Gran Coupe has all the style and substance to rattle its more established rivals to possibly become the most convincing premium four-door coupe model out there.

Credits: Story and photos by Raymond Lai