BMW had a whole host of new cars on its stand.
There’s world premieres of three ‘6’ models – the 6 Series Gran Coupe, the M6 and the X6.
Parkers Pick – 6 Series Gran Coupe
- What is it? A four-door version of the 6 Series designed to appeal to those who want a coupe but need four doors. Think of it as a direct rival to the Mercedes-Benz CLS.
- Vital stats and facts: There’s a trio of outputs available. A 320bhp six-cylinder petrol engine powers the 640i while there’s a 640d with a 313bhp. For the buyer with a need for speed you can also get a 650i with a 450bhp V8 petrol engine. The boot size is a substantial 460 litres, rising to 1,265 litres if you fold the back seats down flat.
- Why would you buy it? A BMW with coupe styling and four doors will appeal to those who value style but require practicality. It’s also welcome competition to the Mercedes-Benz CLS, which has had a monopoly on this particular market for quite some time.
- Why wouldn’t you? It’ll be rather expensive and probably won’t be quite as comfortable as the Mercedes-Benz offering.
- Prices and launch date: On sale on June 2, 2012, with prices starting from £61,380
What else is on the stand?
There’s a new M6 which features a turbocharged V8 petrol engine making 381bhp. This, when coupled with the seven-speed twin-clutch automatic gearbox, means the M6 will hit 62mph in 4.2 seconds. A new X6 also breaks cover with updated styling. There’s a concept 1 Series called the M135i, which promises over 300bhp and handling that should slot it into the range just below the 1M coupe in terms of performance. Click here to read sister title Car magazine’s full story on the M135i.
There’s also the new 3 Series, a set of new engines for the 1 Series and the i3 and i8 concept cars we saw first in July 2011.
For more news from the Geneva Motor Show 2012, click here.
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