New 5 Series to address 6 Series GT customers in LWB guise.
03 Aug 2024 | 4475 Views | By Saptarshi Mondal, Autocar India
BMW has discontinued the 6 Series GT in India, following the launch of the new 5 Series. This doesn’t come as a surprise as the new 5 Series, in its long wheelbase guise, was meant to address both the outgoing 5 and 6 Series GT customers. In fact, it was ...
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BMW has discontinued the 6 Series GT in India, following the launch of the new 5 Series. This doesn’t come as a surprise as the new 5 Series, in its long wheelbase guise, was meant to address both the outgoing 5 and 6 Series GT customers. In fact, it was the success of the 6 Series GT that convinced BMW to get the new 5 Series in its LWB guise to India.
The 6 Series GT was effectively a long-wheelbase version of the previous-gen 5 Series, first introduced in 2018 and updated with a facelift in 2021. In FY2024, it sold 1,428 units, nearly one and a half times as much as the previous-gen 5 Series, which sold 1,059 units in the same period. It even outsold some popular SUVs such as the BMW X3, Land Rover Defender and Audi Q5.
The long wheelbase format has clearly worked for BMW, as also seen with models such as the 3 Series Gran Limousine and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Chauffeur-driven buyers in this segment have a clear preference for the additional space and legroom at the rear, which is why the new 5 Series only comes in long wheelbase guise to fill the space left vacant by the 6 Series GT.
The 6 Series GT was available in India with either a 258hp, 2.0-litre petrol or a 190hp, 2.0-litre diesel engine. While the new 5-Series is only available with a 2.0-litre petrol engine for now, a diesel variant will be introduced at a later stage to address all customer bases. The hot M5 performance variant with a 727hp, plug-in hybrid V8 engine is also expected to be brought to India.
Currently, BMW’s sedan line-up in India comprises the 2 Series, 3 Series, 5 Series and the 7 Series, of which the 5 and 7 are also available in electric guise in addition to the i4 sedan.