Car Reviews of Vehicles Sure to Be Popular With UK Chauffeur Services
In the competitive UK chauffeur service world, keeping a fleet of top of the line vehicles is an important part of getting and keeping clients. Here we look at two new vehicle models that are sure to be contenders in the world of chauffeuring: the BMW 5-Series GT and the Volvo XC90 D5
BMW 5-Series GT
The BMW 5-Series GT was an acquired taste as it didn't have the sleek, executive saloon looks that the chauffeur industry is fond of. However, enough were sold since it was introduced in 2009 to get the sign off for its replacement – the BMW 6-Series GT.
Sleeker, 150kg lighter, and making more of its fastback styling than its rather frumpy looking predecessor, the new big hatchback is based on the current 7-Series, just as the 5-Series GT shared its platform with the previous BMW flagship.
The 6-Series GT floorpan comprises a mixture of 5 and 7-Series, with some bespoke parts. The front of the car is mostly 7-Series because of the air suspension that is not an option on any 5-Series model. The 7-Series centre section provides its 3,070mm wheelbase for ample cabin room, while the rear floorpan is from the 5-Series Touring, which also features air suspension as standard. Since the 5-Series Touring system was designed for minimum intrusion into the load area it was thus ideal for the 6-Series.
At launch, BMW will only offer their 6-Series GT with the four-cylinder 258hp 1,998cc 630i, and 340hp 2,998cc six-cylinder petrol engines, and the 265hp 2,993cc six-cylinder diesel. The 325hp 640d and other engines will arrive later.
The only variant available on the launch event was the 640i, whose TwinPower Turbo straight six offers up 340hp between 5,500 and 6,500rpm and 450Nm of torque from 1,380 to 5,200rpm. The eight-speed ZF auto makes full use of this to thrust the 640i GT to 100km/h in a sprightly 5.4 sec, and on to its limited 250km/h Vmax.
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As expected, the engine is turbine smooth and the eight-speed auto almost imperceptible in operation, but since the capacious cabin and massive boot are a clue to this sleek five door's possible secondary role as VIP chauffeur transport rather than as just a big family car, I decided to start off in the rear seat.
BMW put a lot of work into making the cabin a restful place, including using 4.85mm thick acoustic glazing on the front windscreen and side glass to minimise extraneous noises. The optional panoramic roof is a boon on a dull day. With its cover electrically retracted this huge glass opening floods the interior with light. It is worth noting that the latest incarnation of this roof extends further aft than on the 5 GT, which is good news for rear seat passengers.
The platform share with the 7-Series and its air suspension option does the 6-Series GT proud, and the rear seat experience is both serene and calming. Of particular note is the way the air suspension provides an excellent low speed secondary ride, rounding off short, sharp bumps in a most convincing limousine like way.
However, from the keen drivers' point of view the 1,845kg 640i GT is no 5-Series on a tight and twisty mountain road. Even in Sport mode, it feels like the large and heavy car it is, with more perceived body roll and less agility on the exact same Portuguese country roads on which I drove the 540i earlier in the year.
Consider it instead the comfortable and spacious cruiser that it indeed is, and the 6-Series GT cossets its occupants over distance in a way that the smaller 5-Series saloon simply cannot.
Volvo XC90 D5
Volvo has a new vision, it's in a new era you could say with chauffeurs across the country experiencing the new age of the manufacturer since the launch of the S90, V90 and all-new XC90 over the last couple of years.
It's probably worth starting this article on the success of the previous model of the XC90 around the world. Volvo sold 86,000 units in the U.S in just one year and it continued to be the company's flagship model for the next nine years.
It stood the test of time as it offered owners a practical, spacious 4×4 vehicle with a decent level of comfort and of course, the Volvo reputation of safety and reliability.
In 2014, the all-new model was announced as part of this 'new era' for Volvo. It got fed up with being the old man's choice and embraced the future of motoring by announcing no-one will die behind the wheel of one of its cars by 2020.
Brave statement you are probably thinking especially as we are only three years away. Well, think again – NCAP recently awarded the new XC90 97% for occupant safety, so engineers almost have it in the bag.
So, what does the new XC90 mean for chauffeurs and will it be more successful within the market than its predecessor?
The exterior of the new generation couldn't be more different to the previous model. A large deep, aggressive grille and high waistline makes the XC90 one of the best looking SUV's on the road. From the back, thiner, brighter LED lamps modernise the rear end, but still recognisable as an XC90 at first glance. At just under five metres long and a three metre wheelbase, it's just a few centimetres shorter and narrower than a Range Rover, but has a slightly longer wheelbase, so it's certainly a sizeable vehicle.
The previous model just existed – it did a job and it did it well. There was just nothing 'wow' about the exterior whatsoever, it was a practical car that did everything brilliantly. It offered huge amounts of luggage space for the airport run, but it was the badge that killed it for Volvo. How many clients call and ask to be driven in a Volvo?
Imagine a few years ago someone telling you a Volvo would be beautifully styled and it would turn heads in the street. I know, laughable isn't it? But it's true – I've seen it happen!