G28 BMW 3 Series Gran Sedan in Thailand gets a new 320Li Luxury variant – from RM309k; Malaysia next?

BMW Thailand has introduced a new base variant of the G28 BMW 3 Series Gran Sedan (we know it as the 3 Series LWB in Malaysia), with the 320Li Luxury joining the 330Li M Sport that has been available since February.

Priced at 2.469 million baht (RM309,420), the 320Li Luxury is considerably cheaper than the 330Li M Sport which goes for 2.899 million baht (RM363,429), with both figures inclusive of the BSI Standard package that includes a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty as well as free maintenance for three years or 60,000 km (whichever comes first).

In 320Li guise, the engine is a B48 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol unit that provides 184 PS (181 hp) from 5,000 to 6,500 rpm and 300 Nm of torque from 1,350 to 4,000 rpm. This is mated to an eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission that sends drive to the rear wheels, allowing for a 0-100 km/h time of 8.1 seconds and a top speed of 235 km/h.

The 330Li also uses the same B48 mill, albeit with higher outputs of 258 PS (255 hp) from 5,000 to 6,500 rpm and 400 Nm from 1,550 to 4,400 rpm. It also gets an eight-speed Steptronic Sport auto gearbox, is quicker in the century sprint (6.2 seconds) and has a higher top speed (250 km/h).

In terms of equipment, the 320Li comes with the Luxury Line appearance package, which is more subdued compared to the aggressive look of the 330Li’s M Sport kit, and there’s no BMW Individiual high-gloss Shadow Line package as well. The bicolour wheels are the same size as the 330Li at 18 inches, but they now carry a multi-spoke design and the tyres are no longer staggered sizes, with 225/45 profiles all around.

Other differences include the lack of a head-up display, Harman Kardon sound system (there’s a regular HiFi setup instead) and M Sport steering wheel in the 320Li, while the interior trim finishers are in fine-wood oak grain open-pored rather than Aluminium Tetragon. Most glaring is the absence of the Driving Assistant suite, so no AEB, lane departure warning, lane change warning, front collision warning, cross traffic warning and rear collision prevention.

Shared items between the two variants include LED headlamps with high-beam assistant, a powered tailgate, Comfort Access keyless entry, a panorama glass roof, black Vernasca leather upholstery, powered front seats with memory function, a Sensatec-lined dashboard, an ambient lighting system, triple-zone climate control, the Live Cockpit Professional system and ConnectedDrive services. It’s also still a passive cruise control system rather than an active one.

The 320Li in Thailand can be ordered in either Cashmere Silver or Mineral White (no Carbon Black option), with the former available only with Mocha décor stitching; the latter gets two options: Mocha and Cognac.

We reported previously that the 3 Series Gran Sedan sold in Thailand actually comes fully imported from Malaysia, assembled by BMW Group Malaysia at the Inokom plant in Kulim, Kedah. As such, there is a possibility that we could get a lower 320Li variant in the future, although there’s no confirmation if this will happen yet.

With the ongoing sales tax exemption, the 330Li M Sport in Malaysia is currently priced at RM277,164 OTR without insurance and with a standard two-year, unlimited mileage warranty. Looking at the 3 Series Gran Sedan range in Thailand, the 320Li is about 17% cheaper than the 330Li, and by extrapolation, a 320Li here could be around the RM230k mark.

This is not by any means definite, but the extrapolated sum is really close to the 320i Sport that goes for RM230,764 – although this is unlikely because our 320i has more safety features. The gulf between the standard-wheelbase 330i M Sport and 330Li M Sport is not that far off at nearly RM6k, for further context. So, is a cheaper long-wheelbase 320Li something that you might be interested in?

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