BMW 3 Series Sport Line trim review

By Farzana Chaumoo

The Sport Line trim on the BMW 3 Series adds a bit of excitement over the standard model. Here what it offers.

The first of three trims that BMW offers on the 3 Series is the Sport Line. The Sport trim comes with a range of ‘BMW Sport’ detailing. If you’re looking for the most sportiest version then have a look at the top-spec M Sport models.

Here are the features unique to this trim level: 

Styling
Here is a list of interior and exterior styling features unique to the Sport line:

Interior:

• Car key with red detailing
• Door sill finishers in aluminium, with BMW lettering
• Sport seats in Cloth 'Corner' Anthracite with Red highlight, or alternatively Leather 'Dakota' Coral Red with Black highlight; additional upholstery options available
• Sport leather steering wheel with red contrast stitching, alternatively available with black stitching
• Instrument cluster with speedometer and revolution counter with chronoscales and unique dial design
• Air conditioning and radio control unit with Pearl Chrome detailing
• Chrome surrounds on the air vent in the front
• Interior trim finishers in Black high-gloss with highlight trim finishers Coral Red matt, or alternatively interior trim finishers Aluminium with lengthwise cutting with highlight trim finisher Pearl Chrome; this highlight trim finisher extends to the doors; additional trims also available
• Orange or white variable Ambient light

Exterior:

• BMW kidney grille featuring eight exclusively designed slats in black high-gloss
• Front bumper with specific design elements in an aluminium look and detailing in Black high-gloss
• ''Sport Line'' lettering on the side
• Exterior mirror caps in body colour or alternatively in Black high-gloss
• Window guides and B-pillar in Black high-gloss
• 17'' light alloy wheels Double-spoke style 392, or alternatively 18'' light alloy wheels Double-spoke style 397 Bicolour; other wheels also available
• Bumpers with specific design elements in Black high-gloss
• Tailpipe trim in Black Chrome

The Drive

The 3 Series Sport doesn’t come with a sports suspension but it still has that sharp handling that BMW is famous for. Windy roads can be driven through with confidence while on the freeway it is swift and quiet.

Performance
The Sport line can be had with several engines that consist of the 2.0-litre diesel engines (316d, 318d and 320d) and the 2.0-litre 320i petrol. These engines are equipped with stop/start and either a six-speed manual gearbox or the optional eight-speed automatic.

The 3 Series Sport comes well-equipped and can be found with BMW’s Drive Performance Control. It’s just fancy words for driving modes. Drivers can switch between Comfort, Sport and Sport+ modes to suit your mood.

The 320i (petrol) is said to be not only the fastest model in the Sport range but also the cheapest. It accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 7.3 seconds.

Space and Comfort
In the 3 Series Sport, comfortable sports seats can be found. It adds an extra touch to the cabin and makes you a feel little more special next to a standard model.

Rear passenger legroom can be a bit tight for the middle passenger who gets the short straw when it comes to comfort.

Safety
The E90 BMW 3 Series received a 5-star for Adult Occupant safety, a 4-star for Child Occupant safety, and 1-star for Pedestrian safety in the Euro NCAP crash tests.

Four different kinds of airbags can be found in the 3 Series: Front-impact airbags, Side impact airbags, Overhead airbags and knee airbags.

Fuel Consumption
The 320d will return good fuel economy figures. View fuel economy figures for all the models in the F30 3 Series range here.

Price
Prices will vary depending on the year model and mileage.

The Verdict

The BMW 3 Series sells in big numbers so exclusivity has been reduced over the years. There are several personalisation options available to owners, of which the trim levels form part of, but they can be expensive. The model that seems to impress the most is the 320d Sport which offers impressive performance and a good fuel economy.