Taking over from the 5 Series Gran Turismo, BMW’s latest car gets a new designation to reflect the major step forward over its predecessor, says the Bavarian manufacturer.

Set to make its World Premiere at the IAA show in Frankfurt, the 6 Series Gran Turismo willInitially be offered with a choice of three engines, two of which will be available with all-wheel-drive.

The large GT was first launched in 2009 as the 5 Series Gran Turismo, combining hatchback practicality with large executive car comfort and refinement.The new 6 Series Gran Turismo clearly takes its cues from the 5 Series GT, but its height has been reduced by 21mm, while the rear end has been lowered by 64mm. The overall length has increased by 87mm while the width remains the same. 

These changes contribute to a more low-slung silhouette despite there being more headroom than before. The rear has three full-size seats and customers can opt for electrically-adjustable chairs where the backrest angle can be altered at the push of a button. Rear-seat backrests are 40:20:40 split-folding by means of a remote release system in the boot and, behind them, the boot area can accommodate a total of 610 litres (up 110 litres on the 5 Series GT) and 1,800 litres when the backrests are folded down (up 100 litres). 

The new GT now features a one-piece electrically operated tailgate (as opposed to the two-piece version fited to its predecessor), while the boot sill has been lowered by more than five centimetres and is now flush with the floor for improved loading. The two-piece luggage compartment cover has a rigid structure and can be stowed away in a compartment beneath the boot floor.All engines are mated to an eight-speed Steptronic transmission with paddles as standard. The 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol unit in the new 630i delivers 258hp and peak torque of 400Nm, taking the car from 0 to 62mph in 6.3 seconds with a combined fuel consumption of 43.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 148g/km. 

The 3.0-litre six-cylinder in-line petrol engine in the 640i xDrive model generates 340hp and maximum torque of 450Nm and it will accelerate from 0 to 62mph in 5.3 seconds. The combined fuel consumption is 35.3mpg which equates to CO2 emissions of 183g/km. 

The 630d and the 630d xDrive are both fitted with a 3.0-litre six-cylinder in-line diesel engine producing 265hp and peak torque of 620Nm. The 630d version accelerates from 0 to 62mph in 6.1 seconds while the xDrive version is faster by a tenth of a second. The combined fuel consumption and emissions figures are 57.6mpg and 129g/km for the 630d and 49.5mpg and 150g/km for the 630d xDrive.

Fuel consumption and emissions figures have improved, on average, by over 15 per cent, thanks largely to a weight reduction of up to 115kg.

Inside, the 6 Series GT features a freestanding touchscreen for navigation, communication and infotainment functions as well as optional gesture control, which allows certain functions to be operated with simple movements of the hand or fingers. These are registered by a 3D sensor in the centre console and translated into the relevant commands. 

From launch, customers can choose from two trims: SE and M Sport. M Sport offers specific 19-inch light alloy wheels, leather upholstery with exclusive stitching and piping in contrasting colours, plus illuminated door sill strips. A panoramic glass roof is standard on M Sport models and optionally available on the SE models. Reversing assist camera is standard across both trim levels, as is automatic climate control with an option to scale up to a four-zone system.

The new BMW 6 Series GT will make its market launch on 11 November 2017.  Prices start from £46,810 on the road for the 630i, rising to £53,970 for the range-topping 640i xDrive.