BMW is all set to introduce a base 320i petrol variant to supplement the range-topping 328i turbo-petrol saloon.

The base petrol variant will be sold at Rs 28.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai), which is a whopping Rs 8.5 lakh less than the powerful and sporty 328i variant.

The 320i will, however, lose out on a number of features in comparison to the 328i. On the inside, it will get a simplified version of the iDrive system, and the 8.8-inch widescreen infotainment display will be replaced with a smaller 6.5-inch screen. The audio system will include a single-CD player with Aux-in and USB capability and no in-car data storage. The reverse camera present on the top-end variant will also be omitted, and the seat leather on the 328i will be replaced by faux leather. The Xenon headlights have also been removed.

The 328i’s 18-inch alloys will be downsized to 16-inchers for the 320i, and the saloon will not get a sunroof. Powering the car will be a 1994cc, 4-cylinder, 181bhp petrol engine, which is the same motor powering the 520i. And while the 320i gets the same eight-speed gearbox, the ratios have been tweaked to better suit the lower power output compared to the 328i.

BMW’s base petrol variant will now compete with the likes of the Mercedes C 200 BlueEfficiency (Rs 32.13 lakh, ex-showroom, Mumbai) and the Audi A4 1.8 TFSI (Rs 29.26 lakh, ex-showroom, Mumbai).