BMW 650i front 3 quarter
Team IndianCarsBikes was present at the inauguration of a brand new BMW showroom in Pune recently. BMW also had their fleet of press cars present at the event for us to sample. After the formal inauguration and lunch, I hopped into a BMW 530d press car for a short blast around one of the most upmarket areas in Pune, Camp. Now you might recall, ICB had driven the BMW 525d a year back and we brought you a comprehensive review of the same. Back then, we were impressed with the refined and fuel efficient diesel engine of the big Beemer and the 530D put a wider smile on our faces.
BMW 650i rear 3 quarter
The 530d is a more powerful version of the awesome F10 BMW 5 Series we drove. Its the same 3.0 litre straight six under the hood but with added horsepower and more importantly torque. In fact the 530d has 245 bhp and 540 Nm of torque on tap compared to the 525d’s 204 bhp and 450 Nm. So, in terms of performance, the car does feel way more powerful and with the sports mode engaged, turbo lag is almost non-existent. In Sports mode, the throttle response is extremely crisp and the torque rush is addictively instantaneous. Gear shifts via the 8 speed automatic were seamless and even in heavy traffic, the going was effortless.
BMW 650i dashboard
Next on our list was the recently launched BMW 650i convertible. My compatriot at CarTradeIndia, Quresh, took the wheel and I had to climb into the back seat as a BMW guy accompanied us. Initially, I thought getting into the back seat of the 2+2 Convertible was nigh-on impossible for me and mind you, I am almost 6 feet tall. Getting in to the rear seats is a bit of a faf but, once I got into the car and with Quresh in the driver’s seat it was’nt as bad as I’d thought it would be. I think, the rear seats are fine if an average Indian guy is at the wheel and with the roof down, it does not feel cramped. With the roof up though, its a completely different story. Headroom is minimal but then its a small compromise for what you get for 95 lakh rupees ex-showroom.
BMW 650i Instrument panel
What we experienced is, with the roof down, the BMW 650i is the head-turner on the road but, with the fabric roof up most of its flashiness gets dialed down and you can enjoy a quite and comfortable ride. Being a GT (Gran Tourer), the ride is pliant although we did get the chance to test it on the worst of Pune’s notorious potholed roads. The steering is light and feels effortless even when maneuvering through heavy traffic which we didn’t fall short of. All the time we had teenagers following us on their tiny mopeds with the pillion taking snaps of the car, which to them was quite a rare sight as just 7 cars are on Indian roads right now.
BMW 650i rear seats
Inside, the fit and finish is typically BMW with high quality materials making the ‘Joy’ of driving a BMW more classy and comfortable. Seats are supportive but since we haven’t had an extensive drive in the car I won’t be able to comment much on how comfy the seats would be on a long run. You sit low down in the car which does make life difficult when at the wheel and especially in traffic. Now, what surprised me was the absence of HUD and voice controls on the 650i. Both features come as optional extras unlike more inexpensive models like the BMW 530d which comes with HUD as standard fitment.
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