The new bigger, roomier, more refined and grown up MINI has just been made available for order in the UK, or will be as of tomorrow, March 15. Highlights include the debut of three-pot engines, the completely revised interior and the promise of a more grown up feel than before coupled with improved handling too.
British buyers will be able to pick one of these up from £13,750, in One trim. The One gets a 1.2-liter petrol engine that puts out 101hp (102PS) and comes coupled to a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. Move up to the One D and a 94hp (95PS) 1.5-liter diesel is on offer – a detuned version of the same unit as in the 114hp (116PS) Cooper D, and all models can be specified with an optional automatic gearbox too; both transmission choices are newly-developed, not carried over.
However, the most common of the bunch always seemed to be the regular Cooper, which in this latest version gets its go from a 134hp (136PS) 1.5-liter three pot turbo. The Cooper S now has a 2.0-liter turbo petrol with 189hp (192PS) which to me still sounds like a very odd choice for a posh supermini launched in 2014… and down on power.
The Cooper S kicks off at £18,650 with no extras, but it does come with some standard kit. Variable Damper Control and 18-inch rims are on the options list, as are two-zone automatic air-conditioning, heated front seats, panoramic glass roof, visibility package including windscreen heating, rain sensor and automatic light control, a Harman Kardon audio system,Other Park Distance Control, electrically heated and folding exterior mirrors as well as a head up display (HUD).
By Andrei Nedelea
PHOTO GALLERY
