2021 BMW 330LI GRAN LIMOUSINE

What does adding a potent petrol engine do to the soothing BMW 3 Series Gran Limousine?

- TUHIN GUHA

Type 1,998cc, Inline-4 turbo petrol

Max power 258PS@5,000rpm

Max torque 400Nm @1,550 - 4,400rpm

LxWxH (mm) 4,819 x 1,827 x 1,441

Price ₹61.64 lakh (on road Mumbai)

+ Ride quality, rear seat comfort, engine performance and refirnement

- Missing rear seat features, suspension too soft occasionally

Quite suddenly, the BMW 3 Series isn’t just that one package that offers a sublime mix of luxury and driver involvement. There’s now an M340i for those who like a thrill-a-minute from their drive and an India-specific RHD 3 Series Gran Limousine which aims to please with its more lavish rear seat experience. But this expansion of the brand isn’t surprising. Luxury carmakers in our country seem to be on a mission to ensure there’s something for every type of owner in their range, the eventual aim is to bring in new buyers and grow the market.

Filling one such niche is the BMW 330Li Gran Limousine, the petrol-powered iteration of this long-wheelbase 3 Series. The 2.0-litre twin-scroll turbo-petrol here comes in the same tune as in the regular wheelbase 3 Series and is similarly impressive. The motor is, for all purposes, silent in the kind of use it’ll be put through in chauffeuring you around, torque being the same 400Nm as the diesel but spread over a much wider band (1,550 to 4,400rpm versus 1,750 to 2,500rpm in the diesel). Combined with the much higher 258PS output (the diesel makes 190PS), this petrol 330Li makes its way around our roads fully in-sync with its ‘Limousine’ tag.