The Mini John Cooper Works Hatch has been launched in India at Rs. 43.50 lakh ex showroom. It shall be available at Mini dealerships as a completely built unit (CBU) from June 2019.
The new Mini JCW hatch is powered by a 2.0-litre Twin power turbocharged 4-pot motor that makes 231 hp and 320 Nm of torque. It comes mated to an 8-speed Steptronic transmission and delivers all power to the front wheels. Braking comes from a 4-piston fixed calliper setup that makes it quite nimble around corners. While 17-inch black alloys are a standard offering, it is possible to get 18-inch rollers too.
One look at the car and it is immediately apparent that this is no ordinary Mini. The front bumper integrates aerodynamic ducts, while the rear bumper houses the chrome-plated twin exhaust pipes. A rear spoiler also adds to the aggressive styling. The headlights are a full LED unit; with the central cluster surrounded by circular blinker integrated DRLs. The tail lamps with a half of the British flag each are always a treat to see. The car comes in a myriad of rather bold colour schemes, with contrast options for the door mirrors, roof and brake callipers. The John Cooper Works badging at various places, along with the racing stripes on the hood are reminiscent of their racing heritage.
The interiors of the car are well equipped and quite sporty too. It features a leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters in conjunction with a heads-up display that puts all required information directly into the driver’s field of vision. Sound is delivered via a 12-speaker 8-channel setup Harman Kardon setup. While the 6.5-inch touch enabled infotainment comes as standard issue, one may also opt for the Mini Wired package that is essentially a connected car feature. For those who love to put up a light show, an optional Mini Excitement package equips the car with logo projection, 12 colour mood and ambient lighting and a panoramic sunroof. Driving assistant systems such as Park Distant camera and rear camera are standard.
Apart from the MID driving modes, there is a choice between Sport and Green driving mode, the former being performance oriented and the latter, efficiency oriented. The car comes with a host of safety features as standard, such as Brake Assist, 3-Point Seat Belts, Dynamic Stability Control, ABS, Cornering Brake Control and Run-flat tyres. Also standard is the MINIMALISM technology that imparts features such as Auto Start-Stop, brake energy recuperation, active cooling air flaps, and electromechanical power steering.
