Entry-level BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo coming

BMW Australia has opened the order books for its new entry-level BMW 620d Gran Turismo, the first diesel-powered model in the 6 Series GT line-up in this country.

Australian pricing and specification of the new BMW 620d GT model have not yet been confirmed but the local importer says it will arrive here from September 2018, joining the 630i GT ($123,500) and 640i xDrive GT ($148,900), which went on sale in late 2017.

The big liftback is pitched as a sporty, high-tech luxury cruiser and straddles a curious line between wagon, hatch and sports car.

Based on the same platform as the BMW 5 Series, the new 6 Series 620d GT will churn out 140kW of power and 400Nm of torque from its 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine.

Combined with an eight-speed automatic transmission, the rear-drive luxo-barge's fuel economy is rated at a comparatively low 4.9L/100km.

BMW reckons the 620d GT will accelerate to 100km/h 7.9 seconds.

Although pricing has not yet been confirmed for the diesel-powered car, it's expected to shave a significant chunk off the 630i GT's price – potentially up to $17,000, based on the price difference between the 530i and 520d. That would peg the 620d GT at around $106K.

The BMW 6 Series GT's main rival in Australia is the Audi A7 Sportback, which is priced between $114,611 and $261,511 for the entry-level 2.0 TFSI and fire-breathing RS 7 respectively.

Despite the lower price, the new entry-level BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo is expected to retain much of its petrol siblings' standard features such as leather upholstery, adaptive LED headlights, a powered tailgate, 12.3-inch infotainment screen, head-up display, wireless phone charging, plus various autonomous driving and parking aids.