After launching the X1 facelift earlier this month, BMW India has now introduced a new entry-level variant of the 3 Series. Dubbed as the 330i Sport, it carries a price tag of Rs 41.70 lakh. Compared to the 330i M Sport, which has the same powertrain, the newcomer demands Rs 6.8 lakh less. That means the differences between the two arises from what they pack. For the record, the 320d M Sport costs Rs 5.8 lakh more than the newly introduced derivative.

Powering the 330i Sport is the combination of a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and 8-speed automatic transmission. With 255bhp/400Nm going to the rear wheels only, the sedan can accelerate to 100kmph from a standstill in 5.8 seconds and reach 250kmph at full stretch. Even with those impressive performance figures, BMW claims that in this version the 3 Series can return up to 16.13kmpl.

With the numbers game over, it is time to look at what differentiates the two petrol-powered siblings. Both get features like LED-powered headlamps and fog lamps, heated and powered ORVMs with anti-dazzle function, launch control, cruise control, three-zone climate control, electric glass roof, powered front seats with memory function for the driver, a 10-speaker, 205-watt sound system, rear-view camera and auto start/stop function.

However, the M Sport boasts some extra gizmos such as parking assist, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system (Sport gets 8.8-inch screen) with gesture control and Apple CarPlay support, ambient lighting, sports seats for the driver and front passenger, telephony with wireless charging and 18-inch alloy wheels (Sport gets a set of 17-inch alloys).

For someone who wants a petrol-powered BMW just for how good it is to drive, the entry-level variant is a perfect fit. That said, he/she will have to miss out on a lot of goodies in that process. In India, the BMW 3 Series competes with the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4 and the Jaguar XE. By the end of the year, the new Volvo S60 should join the party as well.