This comes as a surprise as BMW Thailand has added another long-wheelbase variant to the popular 3 Series sedan.
The introduction of the BMW 320Li Luxury also sees the demised of the regular 320i standard wheelbase and makes this variant the entry model into the BMW 3 Series family with a starting price of THB2,439,000 (approx. RM306k).
For fans and driving enthusiasts who prefer a 3 Series with a standard wheelbase of 2,851 mm, they will only have the turbodiesel (BMW 320d) and plug-in hybrid (BMW 330e) options. The BMW M340i xDrive that comes with an incredibly impressive powertrain is priced closer to THB4,000,000.
In terms of outlook and features, the BMW 320Li Luxury adopts the regular bumper and wheel designs (still 18-inches with single size) plus bright chrome window surrounds. The panoramic two-piece glass roof is also maintained on the new entry model.
As for propulsion, the BMW 320Li continues to be fitted with the standard tuning of the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with outputs of 184 hp and 300 Nm of torque. The added weight of features, sheet metal and glass has certainly blunted its straight-line performance, where the longer BMW 320Li registered a time of 8.1 seconds for the benchmark century sprint, a full second slower than the standard BMW 320i.
Inside the BMW 320Li, just selected gadgets have been removed compared to the earlier-launched BMW 330Li, such as the BMW Head-up display, Driving Assistant suite and Harman Kardon Surround Sound system.
Adopting the Luxury line means the long-wheelbase interior also gets fitted with the standard steering wheel, foot pedals and is decorated by open-pored oak grain trim.
Consumers would be happy to know that all other features from the 330Li have been made available in the 320Li, such as the Vernasca leather upholstery, Sensatec-lined dashboard, enhanced ambient lighting, 3-zone automatic air-conditioning, hands-free boot opening, Intelligent Emergency Call module and BMW Live Cockpit Professional with dual high-resolution displays.
To recap, the long wheelbase stretches the G20 BMW 3 Series by 110 mm, which translates to an increase of 42 mm in rear passenger legroom. There is also a 6 mm gain in headroom compared to the regular models.
BMW Thailand is pricing the latest 320Li Luxury starting at THB2,439,000 (approx. RM306k) or 15% cheaper than the 330Li M Sport.
In Malaysia, BMW recently introduced the first-ever BMW 330Li in M Sport guise priced from RM277,164.22 on the road, without insurance, inclusive of the SST exemptions and a standard two-year warranty.
For the full five-year/unlimited mileage warranty with a free scheduled service programme and, the price increases to RM290,284.22 – a RM13,120 premium.
Images: Facebook/BMWThailand
GALLERY
