BMW is rolling out more Sport variants of some of its most affordable cars.

    The 118i, 218i Gran Coupe and 320i all receive a Sport variant with drive-away pricing.

    The plug-in hybrid 330e also gets a Sport model. Though it doesn’t have a drive-away offer, BMW points out the 330e Sport falls under the threshold for electrified vehicle stamp duty exemption in New South Wales.

    All models have an “optimised equipment offering” – in short, they’re cheaper than the existing 118i, 218i, 320i and 330e, but they don’t offer any options and feature minor specification differences.

    For example, they all miss out on the M Sport package (or, in the case of the 3 Series models, the Luxury Line package), though they still include Sport Line styling and sport seats.

    The 118i and 218i Sport also run on 17-inch alloy wheels, while the regular 118i and 218i are shod with 18-inch alloys.

    In Ford Model T fashion, you can have any colour you want as long as it’s solid black.

    The 118i Sport, priced at $48,900 drive-away, and the 218i Sport, priced at $53,900 drive-away, include the following:

    • Sport Line styling
    • Front sport seats
    • Cloth/Sensatec upholstery
    • 17-inch alloy wheels
    • Driving Assistant
      • AEB
      • Blind-spot monitoring
      • Rear cross-traffic alert
      • Lane-departure warning
      • Traffic sign recognition)
    • Parking Assistant
      • Semi-autonomous parking assist
      • Reversing camera
      • Parking sensors
    • 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system
    • 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
    • Satellite navigation
    • DAB+ digital radio
    • Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
    • Intelligent Personal Assistant
    • Connected Package Professional
    • LED headlights
    • Ambient lighting
    • Six-speaker sound system

    Both models use a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder producing 103kW of power and 220Nm of torque. This is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic that powers the front wheels.

    For reference, the ‘regular’ 118i and 218i are priced at $47,730 and $52,730 before on-roads.

    The 320i Sport wears a price tag of $69,900 drive-away and packs the following features:

    • Sport Line styling
    • Sport seats
    • Partial leather upholstery
    • 18-inch alloy wheels
    • 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
    • 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system
    • DAB+ digital radio
    • Satellite navigation
    • Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
    • Ambient lighting
    • Parking Assistant
      • Semi-autonomous parking assist
      • Reversing camera
      • Parking sensors)
    • Driving Assistant
      • AEB
      • Blind-spot monitoring
      • Rear cross-traffic alert
      • Lane-departure warning
      • Traffic sign recognition)
    • Intelligent Personal Assistant
    • Connected Package Professional
    • LED headlights

    Finally, the 330e Sport is priced at $77,900 before on-road costs, sliding just under the $78,000 threshold for stamp duty exemption for electrified vehicles in New South Wales.

    It receives a head-up display atop the features listed above for the 320i Sport.

    Both 3 Series Sport models do without the active cornering lights and automatic high-beam of the regular 320i and 330e models, and feature a six-speaker sound system instead of a 10-speaker unit.

    That’s resulted in a fairly substantial saving over their Luxury Line and M Sport counterparts.

    The 320i Luxury Line and M Sport are priced at $71,900 before on-road costs, while their 330e counterparts are $86,900 before on-road costs.

    The 320i is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 135kW of power and 300Nm of torque.

    The 330e’s 2.0-litre turbo four is mated to an electric motor for a plug-in hybrid system with total outputs of 215kW of power and 420Nm of torque.

    Pricing

    • 2022 BMW 118i Sport: $48,900 drive-away
    • 2022 BMW 218i Sport: $53,900 drive-away
    • 2022 BMW 320i Sport: $69,900 drive-away
    • 2022 BMW 330e Sport: $77,900 before on-roads

    MORE: Everything BMW 1 Series2 Series3 Series

    William Stopford

    William Stopford is an automotive journalist based in Brisbane, Australia. William is a Business/Journalism graduate from the Queensland University of Technology who loves to travel, briefly lived in the US, and has a particular interest in the American car industry.

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