Skip advert
Advertisement

BMW 640d Coupe review

Styling tweaks inside and out, plus efficiency gains, give BMW's mighty 640d grand tourer a mid-life boost

Overall Auto Express rating

4.0

How we review cars
Find your BMW 6 Series
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

Revisions to the BMW 6 Series aren’t that obvious - the most noticeable are the new digital dials which won’t be to everyone’s taste. Overall though the changes do add up to marginally enhance the appeal of what was already a great car that’s best sampled with the highly impressive 3.0-litre diesel.

Advertisement - Article continues below

BMW added some intrigue to the launch of the revised 6 Series. Before we got behind the wheel, it announced we’d be driving the new LCI version of the coupe. So would the car benefit from something really exciting such as Lightweight Chassis Innovation or Larger Combustion Injection? Or perhaps it has a Low Carbon Impact?

Turns out LCI means Life Cycle Impulse which is BMW-speak for a mid-life facelift. And as facelifts go, they’re pretty are rather minor on the 6 Series – especially when compared to the radical updates which have just revolutionised the 1 Series. So what are they? Well there’s some external styling tweaks which include revised bumpers front and rear, full LED headlamps as standard, new door mirrors, wider exhausts, fresh alloy wheel designs and a few new colours. But really, unless you parked the facelift 6 Series next to its predecessor, you’d be hard pushed to notice things had changed.

Inside, however, the upgrades are slightly more noticeable. A leather dash is now standard on all models, and this helps to enhance the car’s luxury feel. BMW’s ConnectedDrive is bundled in too, which includes an in-built subscription-free mobile sim card so the car can automatically alert the emergency services in the event of an accident. However, the most radical revision is the new fully digital driver display.

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Used - available now

Qashqai

2018 Nissan

Qashqai

52,849 milesManualDiesel1.5L

Cash £10,900
View Qashqai
5008

2022 Peugeot

5008

46,225 milesManualDiesel1.5L

Cash £18,506
View 5008
Puma

2023 Ford

Puma

67,042 milesManualPetrol1.0L

Cash £12,506
View Puma
EQC

2023 Mercedes

EQC

21,307 milesAutomaticElectric

Cash £26,000
View EQC

When you change the car’s mode between Eco-Pro, Comfort and Sport both the colour and the design of the dials changes. The display is very crisp and actually easier to read than the analogue type used on the old car, though in some ways we’d can’t help but feel some of the graphics used are a little too Playstation in such a mature and grown up car.

In fact, the 6 Series has always been the sensible man’s coupe especially in the 640d flavour of our test car. Small wonder then BMW has done very little to the way it drives. The engine has been made Euro-6 emissions compliant and there are mild efficiency gains, though you’ll probably feel no real difference at the pumps. Still 52.3mpg and 143g/km are incredible considering the power on offer.

With 309bhp on tap the 3.0-litre diesel engine is a seriously strong performer – and it even makes a pleasant noise as fake engine sounds are played through the stereo speakers so you don’t notice the diesel rattle. Also the hugely flexible nature of the engine’s delivery means you just short shift through the super-slick eight speed automatic gearbox riding the relentless tide of torque to. This relaxed nature really suits the 6 Series’ chassis set up – but don’t expect Porsche 911 levels of poise, delicacy and involvement.

Take the car for what it is though – which is a surefooted, supremely comfy, effortlessly fast, surprisingly economical and very luxurious GT car – and the BMW 640d is hard to fault; even if the mid-life updates aren’t that spectacular.

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Skoda Kodiaq

Skoda Kodiaq

RRP £38,140Avg. savings £3,019 off RRP*Used from £13,895
Nissan Juke

Nissan Juke

RRP £19,785Avg. savings £3,331 off RRP*Used from £9,600
Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tucson

RRP £29,820Avg. savings £5,075 off RRP*Used from £14,448
Vauxhall Corsa

Vauxhall Corsa

RRP £18,725Avg. savings £4,199 off RRP*Used from £15,337
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k
Kia PV5 Passenger - show front

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k

New entry into the electric people carrier market undercuts the VW ID. Buzz by a significant margin
News
29 Apr 2025
Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price
BMW X7 - front

Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price

German firm’s flagship SUV could never be called cheap but it is exceptional value at £735 a month – making it our Deal of the Day for Sunday 27 April
News
27 Apr 2025
New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645
Kia PV5 Cargo on display at Commercial Vehicle Show - front 3/4

New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645

All-new entry into the van market promises competitive pricing and comes with a range of up to 247 miles
News
30 Apr 2025