About a month ago, we got behind the wheel of the BMW 318i Sport. At the time, we said it’s still a wonderful sedan to drive despite being more like a 5 Series in its current iteration. The Sport, essentially the M Sport for the local market, was the only variant of the 318i at the time, and we couldn’t help but wonder if BMW Philippines was ever going to expand that model’s range.
Well, that time has come as BMW Philippines has introduced an additional variant of the 318i. Dubbed the 318i Business, it’s the, um, more attainable version of the executive sedan. So, what’s the difference between the Sport and the Business? Read on.
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The most obvious difference here are the wheels and bumpers. The Business doesn’t come with the Sport’s more aggressive looking bumpers, but that might be good news for some. There’s no need to worry about it scraping on steep ramps and driveways. If it looks familiar, it’s essentially the same panels used in the 318i Touring, also known as the 3-Series wagon. Meanwhile, the wheels are still 18 inches in diameter, but features are more conservative design. Also, the window trims are satin aluminum instead of gloss black (Shadowline).
Surprisingly, the interior of the Business edition is similar to the Sport version. The Business even retains the deep bucket seats found in the Sport model. It even retains the power seats with memory function, tri-zone climate control, ambient lighting, and the hi-fi sound system. The only difference in here are the gloss black highlights on the dashboard. The Sport model comes with “Aluminum Mesh” trims on the dash fascia.
Don’t expect any changes under the hood. After all, the Sport and the Business are both badged as 318i. With that, thr 318i Business packs a 2.0-liter, turbocharged engine that’s good for 154hp and 250Nm of torque. It then shifts with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
As for price, we did say it’s more attainable than the Sport, but it’s not what anyone would call a budget meal. The BMW 318i Business retails for P3,590,000, P200,000 less than the Sport.
We’ll take ours in Phytonic Blue or Skyscraper Gray, please.
