BMW 3 Series Gets New '330i' Petrol Variants

BMW has been very sneaky this month. First they introduced a new petrol variant in the 7 Series lineup, the BMW M760Li xDrive V12 Excellence – which, by the way, packs more power than a Ferrari California – and now, we have discovered that they have launched new petrol variants of the BMW 3 Series in India. The new variants get the '330i' moniker and the earlier '320i' has been given the boot. The 3 Series petrol is now available in two variants - 330i Sport Line, for Rs 42.4 lakh, and 330i M Sport Edition, for Rs 44.9 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. Also, these variants are completely knocked-down units, unlike the earlier 320is which were CBUs. 

The updated BMW 3 Series lineup is as follows.

The engine in both these petrol variants is a turbocharged, 1,998cc 4-cylinder unit which develops 252PS of power and 350Nm of torque. Transmitting these figures to the rear wheels is the 8-Speed Steptronic Sport automatic transmission, hurtling the sedan to triple digits from standstill in just 5.8 seconds. Also, it gets BMW Driving Experience Control which lets the driver choose between four drive modes - Comfort, ECOPRO, Sport and Sport+. The previous 320i petrol variants were also powered by a 2-litre turbo petrol unit but produced about 185PS/270Nm and took 7.2 seconds to reach 100kmph. Also, now, the 330i Sport Line is slightly less expensive than the older 320i Luxury Line.

In terms of features, the two variants are in line with their diesel counterparts. The primary difference between the two is that the 330i M Sport Edition gets an M Sport leather steering wheel, M-trim car key, heads-up display, aluminium finish in interior trims, Mediterranean Blue exterior colour with ‘M’ Logo on front wings and Dakota leather upholstery over the 330i Sport Line. 

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This is a very clever move by BMW as the '30i' suffix is available with the Gran Turismo as well, and will be available with the upcoming new 5 Series too. This will allow BMW to lean their operations while having a petrol variant for their first three sedans. For us, well, we get petrol options for a better price and on a larger number of Beemers.

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