MINI Cooper S
Funkier, faster and facelifted new MINI
The new 3rd generation Mini hatch, when we first drove it in 2014 was already a much more practical car with a lot of irritants removed and the cabin made much more friendly both in terms of ergonomics and comfort but it still retained its brand’s unique identity, its funkiness and its fun-to-drive character.
In the car’s mid-life facelift BMW has worked on its funkiness, added a lot more customisation options and enhanced its sporty appeal. On some of the variants this meant getting rid of the 1.2-litre 3-cylinder engines straightaway to 1.5-litre engines, while on the Cooper S we had the wholesome 4-cylinder turbocharged mill generating a very sporty 190bhp of max power and 280Nm of peak torque spread out over a wide 3,250rpm. And in addition to that was the move to 7-speed dual clutch gearboxes for the Cooper S models and already the profile of the car was a lot changed.
The new gearbox has a S-mode for even sportier driving and features a shift strategy based on the data from the navigation system according to the topography and the oncoming road profile. It also eerily shifts automatically back into the centre when P is pressed with the lever in the sport/ manual mode.
But in addition to imparting sportiness to the cars, BMW has worked on the look and feel of the car as well despite making minimal changes
to the bodywork. To start-off with the first thing that changes is the Mini logo itself, but that is not all up front. Headlights are now LED Matrix and have a surround that can be customised also depending on the packs one chooses and on the Cooper S it meant having a contrasting black ring. At the rear one also has LED tail lamps but with a Union Jack theme, that adds to the Britishness of the cars as well as to the funkiness. Puddle lights on the door mirrors can be customised to project a welcome message of one’s choice as can the door-sill and an insert on the side front fender. For us they were welcome messages to Mallorca.
On the inside the steering wheel is new with multifunction buttons that work in conjunction with also the new infotainment system that now features a 6.5in central touchscreen. Of course, even the steering wheel gets the new minimalistic Mini logo. The steering is leather wrapped and there is an option of getting new leather trim and seats on the inside but the most exciting part is the LED backlit passenger side dash insert that lights up along with ambient lighting when the exterior lights are switched on. In our case it was a take on the Union Jack but this again like most of the other things on the car is customisable.
The convertible in the Cooper S trim also gets all these changes and looks even more funky than before, with new alloys and colours. For both the cars we drive we had new colours, the new solaris orange for the 3-door and the
SMALL AND AGILE, WITH NEARLY 200BHP OF POWER AT COMMAND AND TOP SPEEDS OF OVER SPORTSCAR TERRITORIES
starlight blue for the convertible.
To drive both the Minis are about as much fun as one can have on four wheels. Small and agile, with nearly 200bhp of power at command and top speeds of over sportscar territories, we did not have to call upon all that power, but the peak torque works wonders for normal driving and since its available at such a wide rev-range, very useful for overtaking and in-gear acceleration in virtually every gear.
The go-kart feeling is still there and though one can mitigate the harshness of the ride by switching to comfort mode, there is no denying that handling is the stronger suit of the new Mini. Unlike the big switch to comfort made by its German siblings, at least half of the British part of this family retains its sporty ethos. And the effort now seems to be to make Mini more British and more of a Mini.
VERDICT
BMW has made its Mini cars funky and more customisable, traits that will expand the appeal and the relevance of this essentially British brand that also plays up its roots to enhance its appeal, something else that has been worked upon. In addition to all these cosmetic and feature upgrades, the addition of a dual clutch gearbox for the sporty variants is a welcome addition and adds to the fun-to-drive factor that makes Mini the popular brand that it is today. For India especially, both the convertible and the 3/5-door hatches provide a sporty combination that isn’t available in any other car in the country today.