2018 BMW 6-series GT review, road test

Love the BMW 5-series but find the long-wheelbase new Merc E-class’ space hard to look beyond? BMW might have just the car for you in its new 6GT.

Published on May 16, 2018 08:00:00 AM

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6GT is much better turned-out than its predecessor but still has its bulky angles.

The driving environment is very similar to what you’d get in a 5-series, but you do sit higher up in here.

Given that the 6GT shares its dashboard layout with the 5-series, we’ll come back to the front section of the cabin in a bit. For now, let’s focus on the prime reason one would pick the 6GT over the 5 sedan – the rear seat. Open the rear doors and once you are done marvelling at the frameless windows, what becomes instantly evident is that the 6GT is far roomier than its sedan sibling. Pardon the cliché, but there’s acres of space in the back, with the large windows and huge panoramic sunroof making the cabin feel airier still. Even sitting behind a six-footer is not an issue with still enough legroom to stretch out. And for a car that boasts a coupé-like roofline, headroom is good too. However, BMW should have gone one step further with the option to slide the front passenger seat forward from the rear to give chauffeur-driven owners that ultimate feeling of space. The fact that you get this feature on the comparable Merc E 200 is something that won’t escape a buyer’s attention.

The 6GT’s rear seats themselves are well cushioned and supportive, but they don’t feel quite as sumptuous as the ones on the E-class. Have no doubts though, because you are still very comfortably sat in the back of a 6GT. The pillows on the headrests whisper luxury and there’s also the option to electrically recline the backrest angle to your liking. Electrically retractable sun shades for the side windows enhance the comfort factor, and BMW has done well to equip the 6GT with a rear-seat entertainment system and four-zone climate control as standard.

Up front, the feeling is of sitting in a slightly raised 5-series. The dashboard looks like a direct carry-over from the sedan, which is not a bad thing in the least. The combination of the digital instruments (they change theme with mode), the centre infotainment display and even the colour screen for the climate control system work beautifully to give the cabin a very modern look. The cabin is also a fairly sporty environment to be in what with the chunky steering and BMW’s joystick-like gear lever. Quality is excellent just about everywhere, but some bits like the power window switches don’t feel particularly special for a car of this price. We also found the drive mode selector switches besides the gear lever a bit fiddly to operate on the move.

6GT drivers will like their seats for comfort and the view afforded out the front. At the same time, the absence of seat lumbar adjust and the limited rear visibility are quirks those behind the wheel will just have to live with. No complaints for in-cabin storage (okay, the glovebox is a bit small), but what is disappointing is storage for luggage. And it’s all to do with the position of the standard-fit space-saver spare on the boot floor rather than under it. As a result, the 6GT’s cavernous 610-litre loading bay can’t be put to full use. For what it’s worth, the rear seat’s 40:20:40 split backrests fold flat to offer a staggering 1,800 litres of boot space, with the spare tyre removed.