It’s not exactly selling like hotcakes, but the BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo range in Thailand has been expanded with the introduction of the petrol-powered 630i. This is of particular interest to us because this particular variant is assembled right here in Malaysia, in Kulim.
The car is priced at 4,359,000 baht (RM585,000), which makes it 340,000 baht less expensive than the 630d diesel, which is built in Germany. However, that still makes the car more than RM150,000 dearer than it is over here, where it retails at RM430,800.
Still, the Land of Smiles now gets a car that’s both cheaper and better equipped. On top of the equipment on the 630d, the 630i adds handsome 20-inch Style 648 M alloy wheels (the 630d gets 19s), air suspension, adaptive cruise control with stop and go and the Driving Assistant package, which includes autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and blind spot monitoring.
Thai models also get a few items Malaysian-market cars miss out on. The first is Parking Assist Plus, which bundles in a 360-degree camera system (ours only gets a reverse camera) and a Remote 3D View function that allows users to check their vehicle’s surroundings through a smartphone. Also fitted is Remote Control Parking function to park the car remotely using the BMW Display Key, as well as soft-close doors.
Just like the 630i here, the car is powered by a B48 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, making 258 PS from 5,000 to 6,500 rpm and 450 Nm of torque from 1,550 to 4,400 rpm. It is mated to a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, with drive sent to the rear wheels.
GALLEY: BMW 630i Gran Turismo in Malaysia
