BMW 840i Gran Coupe 2019 Review – International

The BMW 840i Gran Coupe is bound to meet the prestige brand's initial sales projections in Australia once local deliveries commence.

Built on the same ('GKL') platform also to be found under the 7 Series sedan and the X7 SUV, the 8 Series Gran Coupe is 231mm longer than its two-door sibling, and 201mm of that extra length is spliced into the wheelbase. It's also 30mm wider and 61mm higher, contributing to much improved rear-seat accommodation.

From a quick blast through Portugal we can testify to the great touring ability of the 840i Gran Coupe and its decent performance with the entry-level inline six-cylinder engine – embodying all the signature BMW traits of straight-six power delivery and refinement.

And while there's no lack of performance, the BMW 840i was surprisingly frugal too. With three on board and some luggage in the boot, plus an unrelenting charge along the local freeways, it finished the trip posting a fuel consumption figure of 11.1L/100km.

The 840i Gran Coupe was also very quiet at speed. There was a subtle mix of road noise and powertrain rumble intruding, the latter fading in Comfort mode, but slightly more prevalent operating in the Sport setting.

The ZF eight-speed automatic was an ideal match too, and the ride and handling balance of the adaptive 'M' suspension could be adjusted on the fly to suit almost any preference. Overall, the BMW 840i Gran Coupe proved itself to be a very capable tourer, and extremely stable at open-road speeds.

We hold out hope that the BMW's poise and competence on Portuguese roads will translate to Aussie country roads. The roads in Portugal are closer in nature to local roads than the billiard-table surfaces of German autobahns.

Far from being a one-trick pony, the BMW's Sport mode sharpens up body control and steering for high-speed touring, not just to confer agility at lower speeds. Even in that mode the 840i Gran Coupe felt reasonably compliant at speed and around town. The comfort mode was naturally softer, but to the detriment of the car's steering, which was not as precise or communicative in this setting.

Although there were few opportunities presented to assess the dynamic ability of the 840i Gran Coupe on winding roads, we are told that as standard the car sold in Australia will feature 'M Sport' brakes (374mm wide rotors) and differential, plus four-wheel steering and 20-inch alloy wheels. The vehicle tested was fitted with Bridgestone Potenza tyres, measuring 245/35 R20 at the front and 275/30 R20 at the rear.

Inside, the 840i Gran Coupe presents an attractive dash and centre fascia, featuring the 'Live Cockpit Professional' instrument cluster and BMW Operating System 7.0 to handle the infotainment duties. With head-up display plus the large-format instrumentation (12.3-inch diagonal) and 10.25-inch touchscreen in the centre fascia, the BMW layout has moved a step ahead of Audi's Virtual Cockpit equivalent for flexibility.

The driving position is enhanced by the seating, with the snugly-contoured seat providing plenty of adjustment to place the driver the right distance from wheel and pedals. You don't have to be a contortionist or an acrobat to slide into them.

An idea originally developed by Porsche for the new Panamera, the '4+1' seating array has been adopted by BMW for the 8 Series Gran Coupe. As with the Panamera, it's best to consider the 840i Gran Coupe a four-seater only. It's doubtful even small kids could feasibly be comfortable in the centre seat.

But the other four seats are very comfortable indeed, in contrast. Even in the rear the contouring is ideal for a grand tourer with some sporting prowess. The one concern is the lack of headroom for adults of average size. This is exacerbated by the standard panoramic sunroof.

Finally, the 840i Gran Coupe comes up short for boot space. It's not as if the owner of an 8 Series Gran Coupe will be shifting a lot of furniture, but even measured against rivals like the Mercedes CLS, the Audi A7 and the Porsche Panamera or the Jaguar XF the BMW's capacity of 440 litres just doesn't make the grade.

And on the subject of those rivals, dare one mention the price difference? At just under $200,000, the BMW is around $66,000 more than the Audi A7 55 TFSI, which produces the same power and torque as the BMW, with the added benefit of driving through all four wheels.

The Mercedes-Benz CLS 450 is another competitor with all-wheel drive, and produces even more power (by 20kW), for a price over $41,000 less than the BMW. At nearly $70,000 less, the Jaguar XF 35t S is 50Nm behind the BMW, but enjoys a 30kW advantage. Only the Panamera is more expensive than the BMW – by almost $30,000 – and produces lower engine output, but it too has all-wheel drive.

The question that goes begging is whether the BMW can justify that extra expense. Sure, the 840i Gran Coupe has some good gear, and some of the rivals mentioned are getting long in the tooth, but BMW may have its work cut out for it convincing buyers the 840i Gran Coupe is worth that much more than the opposition.

How much does the 2019 BMW 840i Gran Coupe cost?
Price: $199,900, plus on-road costs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 250kW/500Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.5L100km (WLTP combined), 11.1L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 170g/km
Safety rating: TBA