Ten years ago, the four-door coupe became the new dream car. Genuine designer pieces, funky as sports cars, upscale as luxury sedans – the Audi A7 or the Mercedes CLS caught the eye, even for non-car enthusiasts. But now the four big doors are in the second row – behind all the cool, fully digitized Strummers with insane acceleration values and huge screen-size displays. Still hot – or not? We put the newly modified BMW XL 4-door Coupe in our test garage.
This is new
The current 8 Series has been available as a coupe since 2018, and a year later a cabriolet and four-door called Gran Coupe were added. It has now been updated in one go. BMW engineers and designers didn’t get much: the new front comes with an M Sport package with badges, special seats and an M steering wheel as standard; Also, a larger 12.3-inch touch screen. W: The ribs in the front grille are now lit – such a luminosity is more familiar than in electric cars. But that’s it – technically everything stays the same.
We love it
But honestly, what should you seriously have changed? More style not currently possible at BMW, the four-door 840d xDrive Gran Coupé still looks impressive. Especially up front, BMW recently arrived in a rage with a giant grille and dim headlights. In contrast, this five-seater looks forever elegant without ostentation.
BMW 840d xDrive Gran Coupe
engine 3.0 R6 turbo diesel, 340 hp (250 kW) plus electric motor 11 hp (8 kW), 700 Nm at 1750-2250 / min, 8-speed automatic, 48-volt system, all-wheel drive
mileage 0-100 km/h in 5.0 seconds, peak 250 km/h
Dimensions L / W / H = 5.08 / 1.93 / 1.41 m, 2183 kg, trunk 440 liters
consumption Factory / Test 6.7 / 6.56 l / 100 km, 174 / approx. 170 g CO2/km, energy d
the prices Starting at CHF 133,600 (base: 3.0 R6 turbo petrol engine, 333 hp (245 kW) from CHF 130,400), concept car CHF 170,250 (including options: panoramic glass roof, additional heating, laser light, chassis adaptive, sun blinds, parking assistant, Alcantara roof liner, etc.)
Plus A very elegant interior, quiet, comfortable, agile driving characteristics, and low fuel consumption for this volume
minus Relatively narrow sense of space, small back seats for long distances
engine 3.0 R6 turbo diesel, 340 hp (250 kW) plus electric motor 11 hp (8 kW), 700 Nm at 1750-2250 / min, 8-speed automatic, 48-volt system, all-wheel drive
mileage 0-100 km/h in 5.0 seconds, peak 250 km/h
Dimensions L / W / H = 5.08 / 1.93 / 1.41 m, 2183 kg, trunk 440 liters
consumption Factory / Test 6.7 / 6.56 l / 100 km, 174 / approx. 170 g CO2/km, energy d
the prices Starting at CHF 133,600 (base: 3.0 R6 turbo petrol engine, 333 hp (245 kW) from CHF 130,400), concept car CHF 170,250 (including options: panoramic glass roof, additional heating, laser light, chassis adaptive, sun blinds, parking assistant, Alcantara roof liner, etc.)
Plus A very elegant interior, quiet, comfortable, agile driving characteristics, and low fuel consumption for this volume
minus Relatively narrow sense of space, small back seats for long distances
This also applies to the interior: where the BMW 7 Series and its competitors, the Mercedes S-Class and Audi A8, are huge, the 8 Series is subtle. There is no glimmer, only sympathetic forms that follow function. Even if you can touch the infotainment now, BMW’s iDrive operating system with swivel drive wheel stays ahead because you can always keep your eyes on the road. Anyone who still installs climate control buttons collects more sympathy points from the lab. Great, but also silly: the optional laser light burns at 600 metres, although our eyes have to be apt when focusing sharply.
We like it less
The glass crystal on the auto selector lever is quite a lot – and like the glowing LED front grille, it’s a matter of taste. BUT: Such a massive car, but you have the feeling that you have to keep smashing your head to fit the flat roof. There is actually plenty of room for your knees and legs and it never hits the crown of your head. However, it seemed to be cramped under the lofty Alcantara sky. And depending on the body dimensions, the rear seats are not really comfortable for long trips because the seat surface is tilted back.
And so it drives
Diesel – We haven’t had one in a long time! A typical BMW, with six cylinders in a row, three liters and 340 hp. Like antiquity? No, because an 11-hp 48-volt electric motor drives the car when accelerating and recovers power when braking. Everything is insulated so quietly that it is the tachometer, usually cut at 5,000 rpm, that detects the diesel engine. Perhaps the heyday of technology is already 125 years old and doomed: unrestricted acceleration, smooth running and plenty of power. The comfortable interior also tames the driver and the gas base.
I noticed it in the pump – because the test consumption of 6.56 l / 100 is surprising with such performance. Anyone who drives much more than 14,000 kilometers a year which is typical of Switzerland is on the right track with an XL-8. and clever. The 5.08-meter vessel sweeps the curves with all-wheel drive and rear wheels that individually control the curves in such a way that you feel like you’re in the much smaller 3rd class.
Show conclusion
Stromers’ high-tech and more visible luxury limousines, such as the BMW 7 Series, are even more impressive. On the other hand, Series 8 inspires with a minimalist and minimalist style. The heyday of the current car era, so to speak, before electricity finally took over. But: 170,250 francs including options and an engine that would also cost exactly half in the mid-tier 3 Series, is rather mediocre.
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