There is just something about a Mini that is special. Like the Porsche 911, the Mini has retained its iconic design even though it has evolved over the years. You cant mistake it for anything else in a crowd. The earlier generation Mini was nothing short of a Go-kart with creature comforts and thrills galore. The new Mini Cooper was launched in India towards the end of 2014 in 3 and 5 door versions and what’s more it gets a diesel engine too. Is the new car as fun as its predecessor? We spent a couple of days with the 3 door Mini Cooper D to get some answers.
The new Mini has grown in size and it no longer seems well, Mini. It is longer by 98mm, wider by 44 mm and taller than by 7 mm than the earlier car. The wheelbase has also increased by 28 mm along with a wider track (42 mm more at the front and 34 mm at the rear. That said, it still retains the typical Mini design elements but has a more matured look now. The hexagonal grille looks classy and comes with three slats on the top half while registration plate finds place on the bottom half. The huge LED headlamps are classic Mini and get semi circular DRLs that distinguish the new car from the old. The rear gets XL size tail lamps with a chrome garnish on the boot. You can also order LED tail lamps too. The Cooper D badging is very prominent on the boot. There is a single exhaust pipe on the left hand side. Our test car had the Volcanic Orange paint with black roof and mirrors. Minis have always looked better in louder colours and combine that with the looks, the Mini is a head turner wherever it goes. 16 inch alloy wheels are standard while you can get 17 inchers as an option.
The interior of the new Mini is funky and at the same time maintains a retro feel as well. The cabin carries over the circular theme from the older car with a few changes. Fit and finish is top notch. The speedometer, which was earlier in the centre has moved back to its conventional place behind the steering wheel. The dashboard now has an 8.8 inch colour display (optional) that shows information from the on board computer, navigation, entertainment, operated via the Mini controller on the centre console. Standard display is a four line TFT screen. The engine start/stop button is located in the middle on the centre console which glows red. It looks fantastic, particularly in the dark. Switches for the power windows are now located on the doors. These were earlier on the centre console.
The front seats are comfortable and hug you in place. You need to push them forward to get into the rear and getting there is not easy. The Mini does not get electric adjust for the front seats. There is more space on the inside thanks to the increase in the wheelbase and two adults can sit in decent comfort in the back but only for short drives. Long drives can get very uncomfortable as experienced first hand by our photographer who sat on the back seat for the whole drive from Mumbai to Lonavala and back. I must mention here that while our test car came loaded with equipment, most of it has to be ticked in the options list. Things like multi function steering, front and rear parking sensors, Harman Kardon sound system etc. are all optional. Boot space has increased by 51 litres to 211 litres. Standard safety features include front and side airbags, curtain airbags for the front and rear seats, 3 point seat belts with belt tensioners and belt force limiters, ISOFIX child seat mountings, ABS, EBD, Dynamic Stability Control and Dynamic Traction Control.
The Cooper D comes with a 1.5 litre 3 cylinder turbo charged diesel engine putting out 114 bhp @4000 rpm and 270 Nm torque coming up @ 1750 rpm. The diesel Cooper does the 0 to 100 kph sprint in a claimed 9.2 seconds with a top speed of 204 kph. The oil burner comes mated to a six speed automatic gearbox. While it can be driven in manual mode as well, the car doesn’t get paddle shifters. The engine might not sound too powerful on paper but it is no slouch either. It is very refined for a three cylinder unit and feels noisy only at start up. NVH levels are excellent and the diesel clatter doesn’t get filtered into the cabin. The new Cooper gets Mini Driving Modes that can be ordered as an option when buying the car and this should be ticked when specing your car. These Drive modes comprise of GREEN, SPORT and MID which is the default mode. While the GREEN mode focuses more towards fuel efficiency, it’s the SPORT mode that’s the most aggressive and which appeals to enthusiasts. Steering becomes heavier and the gearbox pulls longer in every ratio. The new car retains the go kart characteristics and is super fun to throw around. The electro mechanical steering works well and feel is not really compromised.
Mini also offers Dynamic Damper control but again as an option. Our test car also came with the optional Heads Up display. A panel comes up from inside the dash on which your speed is displayed unlike others where the speed is projected directly on the front windshield. It can be deactivated via a switch on the centre console. The Cooper D does well as a cruiser and can eat up kms without a sweat. Relaxed driving at triple digit speeds on the highway is easy peasy for this hatch. It feels at home in the city as well. There is no noticeable lag in the engine and the car feels nimble in everyday traffic.
There are new McPherson struts at the front and updated multi link suspension at the rear. While this helps the agility of the car, there is still a lot of stiffness as far as ride quality is concerned. Bad patches of road are felt prominently inside the cabin and makes life uncomfortable especially if you are sitting in the rear. The Cooper D runs on 195/55 R16 run flat tyres and you do not get a spare with the car.
Mini has priced the Cooper D 3 door at Rs. 31.85 lakh ex showroom and that is just for the base car. There is very little standard equipment and you will end up spending more as you go on ticking the options list making it a very expensive proposition. At the end of the day it is a hatchback. But if you want a car that appeals more to the heart than to the head, you cannot go wrong with the Mini. It is well built, is super fun to drive and oozes style and character that very few cars can match. The addition of a diesel has made it more practical and Mini has recently launched the pocket rocket Cooper S for hardcore petrolheads. We cant wait to get behind the wheel of that one. Watch this space.
Check out our detailed photo gallery:
