Back to basics

The idea of a BMWwithout the frills is actually an unusual one; the distributor is well- known for offering tantalising packages to purchasers beyond standard specification.

Here though, what you see is what you get. This new 318i isn’t even offered with a full palette of exterior colours; black or white sir, that’s your lot.

Still, this aside, it’s somewhat surprising to discover you’re not wanting for much in this baselevel 3- Series. So much so, some of the stuff offered further up the model line starts to feel a tad superfluous when you consider what’s on offer for $ 60,000.

The 318i is also an interesting addition to the F30 era 3- Series range, as we haven’t seen this particular model in the New Zealand market for almost a decade.

Until now the $ 73,350 BMW320i has undertaken the heavy- lifting for the brand, although that price point hardly makes you think ‘ entry- level’. There are plenty of IT’S SOMEWHAT SURPRISING TO DISCOVER YOU’RE NOT WANTING FOR MUCH IN THIS BASE- LEVEL 3- SERIES. SO MUCH SO, SOME OF THE STUFF OFFERED FURTHER UP THE MODEL LINE STARTS TO FEEL SUPERFLUOUS other options, especially in terms of premium European metal, in this corner of the market.

Drop the price until it starts with a “five” though, and BMWmight be on to something. Line the 318i up against something else from the range – well, something that isn’t dressed in MPerformancethemed sports finery anyway — and you’d be hard pressed to pick it out.

The 318i still arrives with 18- inch ‘ V Spoke’ alloy wheels, metallic paint with chrome trim detailing and LED headlights.

Inside, you get BMW’s iDrive system as standard, with satellite navigation and real- time traffic update information, heated seats,