By Samuel Ee

Both power plants in front of the driver drive the rear wheels.

BMW says that the 6 Series Gran Coupe represents individual luxury and space. The car combines the sporty dynamics of the 6 Series with the status and presence of the 7 Series.

To convey the sportiness of a coupe, the frameless door windows from the 6 Series are carried over. So are the electric front seats, with their integrated seat belts and power switch on the side. To further express the car's personality, the characteristic Hofmeister kink in the C pillar is embossed with "Gran Coupe" lettering behind the glass.

But nowhere is the character of the Gran Coupe more clearly seen than in its interior. The cabin with its unusual 4+1 seating layout has four individual seats and an auxiliary third seat.

This quirky centre rear seat has a three-point seatbelt but because the lower centre console is fused to the seat squab, anyone sitting here will have to sit with his or her legs apart.

The other four seats are much more comfortable, however. Long-distance comfort and practicality were important goals in the design brief, so that means the two full-sized rear seats set deep into the back can accommodate 1.9 metre-tall occupants.

Their luggage is stowed in the 460-litre boot, with the possibility of folding the seatbacks down for up to 1,265 litres in space.

The luxurious cabin is also special, with numerous options available, such as the Bang & Olufsen surround sound system with its levitating centre tweeter.

The BMW Individual package designed for the Gran Coupe is even more upscale - Frozen Bronze matte exterior paintwork, pure white ash wood trim, Opal White leather seats and Amora Brown dashboard.

Space with pace have rarely been this stylish.

samuelee@sph.com.sg

This article was first published in The Business Times.

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