Here’s something a little unexpected. A fleet of the new G32 BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo (in M Sport trim) was just spotted by reader Manoj Prasad in Cyberjaya yesterday. Interestingly, the five- to six-car convoy came complete with proper Kedah registration plates, with these two being KEP 630 and KEP 6301. No prizes for guessing the variant, then.
More importantly though, the 6 GT could in fact be locally-assembled in Kulim, Kedah, which also explains the Kedah plates. It’s worth noting that the Gran Turismo is largely based on the G30 BMW 5 Series sedan (now CKD as well), and the 630i variant uses the same B48 2.0 litre four-cylinder petrol engine that’s also assembled at BMW’s engine assembly plant in Kulim. The only other Gran Turismo model to be locally-assembled in the past was the 3 Series GT.
To recap, the 6 GT is the direct successor to the previous 5 GT, and it’s a full 21 mm lower than before. It’s a big car, measuring 5,091 mm long, 1,902 mm wide, 1,538 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 3,070 mm – the 6 GT is 155 mm longer, 34 mm wider and 59 mm taller than the G30 5 Series.
The front fascia will be familiar to 5 Series owners, but the 6 GT has a more expressive headlight design. Full-LED headlights are standard, although adaptive units with three-dimensional “corona ring” light guides, variable light distribution and Selective Beam anti-dazzle high beam are optional. Its drag coefficient is 0.25 Cd (down from 0.29 Cd), thanks in part to Air Curtains, Air Breather vents and lower roofline. The rear spoiler automatically rises at speeds over 120 km/h.
Inside, much of it is the same as the 5 Series, so there’s a low dashboard, a freestanding centre iDrive display, a tall centre console and a digital instrument cluster that can be upgraded to a full widescreen display. There’s also the optional electrically-operated sunblinds for the rear side windows (5er’s is manual).
At the back, there are three full-sized seats, which BMW says can fit three child seats – although ISOFIX anchors are still only fitted to the outer seats. Those seats can be fitted with a electric reclining function, and refinement has been improved through the use of soundproofing in the roof, doors and rear headrests. There’s 610 litres of boot space with the seats up, or a whopping 110 litres more than before. With the seats down, volume shoots up to 1,800 litres.
For engine, the base 630i comes with the B48 2.0 litre four banger, producing 258 hp and 400 Nm of torque. That’s approximately six hp and 50 Nm more than the same unit that powers the 530i, and the 6 GT sprints from zero to 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds. Fuel consumption is rated at between 6.2 and 6.6 litres per 100 km.
The range-topping 640i variant gets an inline-six petrol that makes 340 hp and 450 Nm of torque, dispatching the century sprint in 5.4 seconds, or 5.3 seconds with xDrive. The 630d however, gets a straight-six turbodiesel, developing 265 hp and 620 Nm. The oil burner will most likely be omitted for our market, but BMW’s engine assembly plant can in fact produce diesel engines.
For equipment, we will know the full Malaysian specification soon enough, so stay tuned. For now, would you consider getting the 6 Series Gran Turismo over the 5 Series?
GALLERY: G32 BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo
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ugly as sin
Totally agreed ..Bro.
Yes
I second that…
It’s always an unavoidable compromise for BMW to make practical yet sporty family car …
Can’t wait for the launch. My 3GT have been serving me well for the pass 4 years. Very practical car for small family and can be sporty when the power is needed.
I want to puke everytime I read story about BMW.
And yet, you read them….
Between the German luxury trio, it is BMW who has invested the most in our auto industry. The sheer number of BMW models assembled locally far outnumber Mercedes-Benz’s figures. Meanwhile, Audi is not even in the game (all of their models are CBU).
Here is a list of all the BMW and Mercedes-Benz models assembled in Malaysia in the past decade, which I’m aware of ;
BMW Malaysia, Inokom Kulim plant (2008-present)
1 Series (F20)
3 Series (E90), (F30), (F34)
5 Series (E60), (F10), (G30)
7 Series (F01), (G11)
X1 (E84), (F48)
X3 (F25)
X4 (F26)
X5 (F15)
X6 (F16)
MINI Countryman (R60), (F60)
Total 2017 production volume : 9,466 BMW, 96 MINI
Jan to Jun 2018 : 7,035 BMW, 474 MINI
Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, HICOM Automotive Pekan plant (2005-present)
C Class (W203), (W204), (W205)
E Class (W211), (W212), (W213)
S Class (V221), (V222)
GLC Class (X253)
Total 2017 production volume : 9,287 Mercedes-Benz
Jan to Jun 2018 : 4,647 Mercedes-Benz
These figures are for passenger cars only, which means Mercedes-Benz Group trucks like the Actros and Mitsubishi Fuso were excluded.
Also, I just wanna say that I’m not a huge fan of either BMW or Mercedes-Benz. I just support all car companies who invest in our auto industry. Some more than others.
Personally, I wouldn’t buy ANY luxury car… Why ? Because having a luxury car is like having a high-class girlfriend; after a few months, problems will start popping up, and if you keep her long enough, you will eventually go bankrupt ! Sometimes, a simple life (or car) can be more satisfying. Anyway, this is just my pragmatic view.
P.S. I hope BMW Malaysia won’t sue me or anything for photographing their camouflaged cars above. I have no ill intentions, just curiosity. Plus, it’s not illegal anyway, since they were driving on public roads.
I don’t think a simple comparison of the total number of CKD models is an accurate measure of which one of them invested more in our auto industry. While details are hard to go by, the word around the industry is that Mercedes Malaysia’s local assembly operation goes deeper than most of BMW Malaysia’s, in terms of whether it’s strictly an assembly process or if it involves actual manufacturing of parts such as body panel stamping, for example.
Again no proof of this, but it’s clear that MBM only ever CKDs high volume mainstream models, while BMW Malaysia offers CKD variants of highly niche models like the 3GT, X4, X6, 1 series to a certain extent, not to mention this new 6GT. This does suggest that BMW may be running a simpler assembly programme, without the need to have long term, high volume targets to achieve financial viability, whereas MBM is more careful in what it can or cannot CKD, as its more complex programme requires more thought and costs. That the A Class, despite being a sales success here, hasn’t yet been locally assembled is quite telling.
Mesidis dun want their cars to be too cheap as to dilute their brand image.
Too cheap? The taxes already made their cars 3x expensive here
It will be introduced officially in September 2018 @ 630i M Sport GT at RM420k (without insurance).