Cute! British! And still good

INI IS A British brand – a blindingly obvious statement, but Mini thinks you might have forgotten the fact judging by its refreshed hatch and convertible models. So now we’ve rear lights that look like illuminated Union Jack …lags… just in case Union Jack roofs weren’t enough to remind you.

Very little else has changed with the update – because the Mini formula is a winning one. All cars now come with full LED front lights, there are some new colour and wheel choices, and you can now have your name 3D printed onto parts of the car, or even beamed down onto the ground by the puddle lights if you feel so inclined. Mini owners are clearly a forgetful bunch.

The Mini does at least drive as well as it always has. When presented with a series of tight and twisty bends, there are few cars as chuckable as the Cooper S. And as the road unfurls again the engine pulls strongly from low revs all the way to the redline, letting out a naughty crackle from the exhaust whenever your throttle foot wavers.

In true Mini fashion, the rear of the car is ever-mobile – which might be unnerving were it not for the hefty, feelsome steering that lets you know exactly what’s going on.

For all this trad Britishness, there must be a hat-tip to Mini’s German parentage, though. That BMW’s comprehensive catalogue of tech has been shoehorned into the Mini’s tiny body without corrupting its incorrigible, fun-loving nature, is an impressive achievement.

MEveryone’s talking about the Union Jack lights. They should be out driving