we've had a lot of different versions of the bmw 6 series. there's a coupe that was recently discontinued; there's still a convertible; there's also a four-door gran coupe. now, there's a four-door gran turismo, a sort of hatchback version of the 6 series we got up close and personal with at the 2018 chicago auto show.
related: more 2018 chicago auto show coverage
it seems like it's similar to previous versions, but it's actually representative of a full redesign of the 6 series. the easiest way to tell it apart from other 6 series models is that the headlights flow directly into bmw's dual-kidney grille; they sit out a little farther on the gran coupe and the convertible, and the 6 series is really similar to what you'll find on the redesigned 5 series and 7 series.
the roofline peaks very subtly at the b-pillar and goes all the way down to the tail with no real kinks along the way; it's a flowing overall design. the rear may still seem too abrupt for some tastes, however. the wheelbase has increased about 4 inches versus the 6 series gran coupe.
if you've been inside the redesigned 5 series or 7 series lately, the 6 series gran turismo's interior should feel familiar. there's a similar dashboard layout with a 10.25-inch horizontal, tabletlike display on top of the dash. another display is embedded in the center stack for things like climate control. overall, there's plenty of premium materials — notably, three-dimensional stitching with vinyl wrapping on most areas where your arms and elbows fall.
the 6 series gran turismo will start at around $71,000, a lot less than the 6 series gran coupe and convertible. it'll come with one powertrain: a 335-horsepower, turbocharged six-cylinder used engine good for 332 pounds-feet of torque that drives all four wheels through bmw's xdrive all-wheel-drive system and an eight-speed automatic transmission.
it's on sale right now, so stay tuned for our driving impressions as soon as we can get behind the wheel. in the meantime, watch the video above.
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