BMW has introduced a fair few of bang-for-your-buck ‘Sport’ variants in their lineup, with the X5 and 5 Series more recently. While there was already a 330i Sport, the company has now added the 320d Sport, for those looking for a more frugal alternative to the adrenaline-pumping 330i without emptying a sizable chunk from their wallets. The 320d Sport gets almost all the goodies from the Luxury Line, loses the fancy bodykit, while also saving you over Rs 5 lakh.
What does it get?
A lot. It retains cruise control, launch control, driving modes, as well as features like the sunroof, LED headlights and foglights, three-zone climate control, electrically operated seats at the front, 10-speaker audio system and rear-view camera. Additionally, it also gets all the safety kit like six airbags, dynamic stability control, ABS and ISOFIX mounts.
Mechanically, the 320d Sport is identical to the 320d Luxury Line, powered by the 2-litre diesel engine producing 187bhp and 400Nm of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels, via an eight-speed automatic transmission, resulting in a claimed 0 to 100kmph time of 6.8 seconds.
What does it miss?
The exterior has a lot less bling and gets a more sober design for the bumpers. The fully-digital instrument cluster has been replaced by a semi-digital setup with a 5.7-inch display, the smaller 8.8-inch infotainment display misses out on CarPlay (and Android Auto), there’s no ambient lighting and there’s no park assist. Aside from this, a few bits of trim on the inside are covered in Sensatec (faux leather), and the wood-finish on the dashboard has been replaced by piano black trim.
Pricing
At Rs 42.1 lakh, the 320d Sport is Rs 40,000 more expensive than the 330i Sport, but Rs 5.4 lakh more affordable than the 320d Luxury Line. BMW’s recent Sport variants have been well priced and retain all of the important features, while letting go of some over-the-top ones. While we would have liked to see now essential goodies like Apple CarPlay on the 320d Sport, with that price drop over the Luxury Line we’re not complaining. Its main rival, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class starts at Rs 40.90 lakh, making it a touch more affordable.