2018 BMW 330i M-Sport Test Drive Review

2018 BMW 330i M-Sport Review

Car Tested: 2018 BMW 330i M-Sport; Road Test No. 894

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 54.50 lakhs

The BMW 330i M-Sport looks splendid and is fast AF, offering oodles of fun!

The BMW 3-Series is one luxury sedan that is a favourite with enthusiasts. In 2016, the German automaker had launched the LCI (Life Cycle Impulse) version of the 3-Series and along with that, started offering the M-Sport variant with the 2.0-litre diesel engine. Now, the company has refreshed their line-up for the Indian market and introduced the 330i M-Sport, by plonking in a 2.0-litre petrol engine under the hood. Does the 330i make sense for performance enthusiasts? Time to find out.

Motor Quest: BMW had actually launched the 320i in India last year and it came with a 2.0-litre petrol engine and produced just 185 PS while the 330i that is now available gets a 2.0-litre engine too, but in a higher 250 HP tune.

Exteriors – There is no denying that the 3-Series looks striking and sporty in presence and yet elegant. The car upholds the traditional BMW design language with the long sculpted bonnet and short front and rear overhangs. The F30 3-series received a facelift last year and as part of the facelift, the sedan in the M-Sport guise gets LED headlamps with LED DRLs, LED fog lights, LED tail-lights, 18-inch Star-spoke style alloy wheels and chrome-finished exhaust tips. Since this is the M-Sport variant, you get M badges all around the car and sharply designed front and rear bumpers. The sedan is available in Alpine White and Black Sapphire exterior colours.

Interiors – Apart from the M bits, no other changes have been made to the cabin. The dashboard is slightly tilted towards the driver and you will, of course, notice the M-Sport steering wheel and M door sill finishers. The M-Sport seats are low-set and offer stupendous comfort and support. You get a heads-up display which apart from the speed also displays radio stations, tracks and phone records. Other equipment on offer includes an 8.7-inch iDrive infotainment screen with Navigation and a sunroof. There are plenty of storage spaces inside the cabin while the rear is a bit cramped. The rear bench folds in a 40:20:40 ratio allowing for enhanced cargo-carrying possibilities. The sedan gets 480-litres of boot space. However, the 3-Series misses out on a lot of features that its rivals come with.

Performance – The BMW 330i M-Sport is propelled by a powerful 2.0-litre petrol engine spitting out 252 PS of power at 5200 RPM and 350 Nm of torque from 1450-4800 RPM. This is much more powerful than the 320i which was launched last year and is now discontinued. As soon as you start the car, the exhaust gives out a mild rumble post which the engine settles down. The 330i is effortless with its power delivery which is dished out in a super linear manner. The low-end is fantastic and there’s just no turbo lag and that should be enough for city commutes. As you engage higher revs, the engine comes into a life of its own as it starts unleashing its power and the revs increase very quickly.

The engine is super responsive and delivers impressive performance

The mid-range is very strong and before you know it, you’ve hit the redline as the 8-speed ZF gearbox upshifts. 0-100 km/hr comes up in a claimed 6.3 seconds. You get the usual driving modes like Eco Pro, City, Sport and Sport+. I found myself driving in Eco Pro all the time in the city because it controls the power delivery and the car feels much more relaxed. City mode eases up things a bit but Eco Pro gets you slightly better fuel efficiency too. In Sport mode, the engine holds on to revs and doesn’t upshift before hitting the redline and power delivery feels ever so responsive and sharp, making this mode the perfect bet when you’re out on the highways and don’t want to cruise. Speaking of cruising, the 330i does 100 km/hr in 8th gear at around 1500 RPM.

Driving Dynamics – The 330i M-Sport has a stiff suspension set up which feels even more noticeable at low speeds. As speeds increase, the ride becomes more comfortable and remains pliant. At very high speeds, the 3 remains extremely composed and sure-footed but sometimes there’s this floaty feeling which can be felt inside the cabin. The steering is well-matched to the car and offers precise movements but it lacks feedback and doesn’t feel as good as the older 3-Series cars. The ground clearance is quite low and the 330i feels confident around the corners. Since it is an RWD, you can slide the tail out if you go really hard on the throttle. However, the fat tyres and the DTC do a superb job of keeping things under control. Braking performance is awesome.

Verdict – The BMW 320d itself is a very good car and an excellence choice for enthusiasts but a lot of people have been asking for a powerful petrol car in this price bracket and the 330i M-Sport makes a good case for itself. With the M kit, it looks very aggressive and the overall driver-focused layout of the car is a definite plus too. However, it does miss out on a lot of equipment that you can find on cheaper cars too, such as request sensors on the front doors and cruise control. There is nothing to complain about on the performance front and if you fancy a petrol sedan and you’ll be self-driving it, it is hard to not recommend this car.

What’s Cool

* Timeless styling is accentuated with the M-Sport kit
* Engine is tuned for awesome performance, doesn’t disappoint
* Feels very agile and chuckable to drive

What’s Not So Cool

* Oldest car in its segment now
* Lack of some features is shocking

Alternatives: Mercedes C-Class, Jaguar XF, Audi A4

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Further Reading –

2017 BMW 330i GT Review
2016 BMW 3-Series Review
BMW 3-Series First Drive Review
BMW 3-Series Diesel Review
BMW 3-Series Petrol Review
BMW 3-Series GT Review
BMW 3-Series vs Mercedes C-Class vs Audi A4