Facelift (What's New)
Newly designed head and tail lights
Two-dimensional 'flat design' of all MINI badges
Updated infotainment system with a 6.5-inch screen
Seven-speed Steptronic dual-clutch transmission
Numerous new personalisation options available
There's no denying that as a brand, MINI consistently harkens back to its heritage. After all, it is a brand with close to 60 years of colourful and illustrious history, and has achieved a certain iconic status in the automotive world.
Even after MINI came under the ownership of BMW, with each new generation of new MINIs models, there are always callbacks to the brand's British hertiage, such as Union Jack detailing or British racing green paintwork.
The LED rings surrounding the head lights make for a sharper and more distinctive appearanceThis third generation MINI Cooper was launched back in 2014, and has now been recently updated, bringing a range of enhancements and changes to keep it youthful and vibrant.
So what's changed?
The most obvious change you may notice is at the rear - the taillights now sport a very distinctive Union Jack design, clearly referencing the brand's British origins. The lights at the front are also new, with the LED head lights surrounded by an LED light ring that generates the daytime driving lights and turn indicator lights. While it might be a relatively minor change, it does make the car look sharper and more modern.
The Union Jack design of the taillights clearly reference the brand's British heritageAdditionally, if you peer a little closer, you will notice that the MINI logos look a little different now. Across both the exterior and interior of the car, the MINI emblems now feature a two-dimensional 'flat design'.
In the cabin, the 6.5-inch infotainment touchscreen has been updated, and the interface is notably sleeker and sharper than before. Also, the electronic gear selector has been redesigned significantly, while the controls for the three drive modes have been moved onto the centre console. You now operate the control just like any other switch on the centre console, rather then turning the big ring around the gear selector like you did in the previous model (which was ergonomically awkward).
The cabin features a 6.5-inch touchscreen with a sharper and sleeker interface
A new gear selector you say?
Yes, the new gear selector operates the new seven-speed Steptronic dual-clutch transmission, which is also the most significant mechanical change in this MINI. The new transmission promises to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 5%.
Additionally, the engineers have also fiddled with the engine, mostly with the purpose of reducing weight. For example, carbon fibre reinforced plastic is used for the engine covers.
Even after MINI came under the ownership of BMW, with each new generation of new MINIs models, there are always callbacks to the brand's British hertiage, such as Union Jack detailing or British racing green paintwork.
So what's changed?
The most obvious change you may notice is at the rear - the taillights now sport a very distinctive Union Jack design, clearly referencing the brand's British origins. The lights at the front are also new, with the LED head lights surrounded by an LED light ring that generates the daytime driving lights and turn indicator lights. While it might be a relatively minor change, it does make the car look sharper and more modern.
In the cabin, the 6.5-inch infotainment touchscreen has been updated, and the interface is notably sleeker and sharper than before. Also, the electronic gear selector has been redesigned significantly, while the controls for the three drive modes have been moved onto the centre console. You now operate the control just like any other switch on the centre console, rather then turning the big ring around the gear selector like you did in the previous model (which was ergonomically awkward).
A new gear selector you say?
Yes, the new gear selector operates the new seven-speed Steptronic dual-clutch transmission, which is also the most significant mechanical change in this MINI. The new transmission promises to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 5%.
Additionally, the engineers have also fiddled with the engine, mostly with the purpose of reducing weight. For example, carbon fibre reinforced plastic is used for the engine covers.
Does it drive the same?
Thanks to the additional new equipment, this updated model is actually slightly chubbier, weighing 20kg more. However, as far as performance goes, the MINI Cooper has the same performance figures from before. The turbocharged 1.5-litre engine produces 134bhp and 200Nm of torque, propelling the car from 0 to 100km/h in 7.8secs and on to a top speed of 210km/h.
The most significant update is the new seven-speed Steptronic transmission, with one additional gear than beforeA MINI's ability to delight is entirely contingent on the way it handles, and to this end, the updated MINI Cooper does not disappoint. Thanks to the short wheelbase, meaty steering and taut chassis, the car handles with verve, changing directions eagerly and immediately. In short, it's still a very fun car to drive.
That said, the MINI still comes with all the compromises you would associate with a small, two-door hatchback. The boot is a measly 211 litres, and passengers won't take kindly to long rides in the rear seats. Try ferrying your grumpy 60-year old father sitting behind from Tampines to Jurong and you'll likely never hear the end of it.
134bhp and 200Nm of torque make for brisk acceleration in a car weighing just 1,210kg
So it's pretty much the same car, then?
That's more or less accurate. Yes, the styling is definitely improved and more contemporary, the new gearbox increases driving refinement, and the cabin offers more personalisation options than before, but beyond that the car isn't drastically different in any way.
That's not a bad thing though. This is still very much the MINI Cooper we fundamentally know and love. And let's face it, the MINI Cooper, especially in this three-door hatchback guise, isn't a car for everyone. There are much more practical and sensible offerings within the MINI lineup, whether it's the five-door, or the larger Countryman or the Clubman.
The MINI Cooper's quirky, cheery and lively character is part of its enduring charmThis is a car that has a more precise appeal, probably the young, hip, out-and-about millennial. You could even argue that it's inherent impracticality is part of its distinct charm.
But perhaps more importantly, it's the car in the MINI lineup that best captures that slightly nostalgic appeal of the small, quirky and spritely feel of MINIs of the past. Some people just love that, and it's not at all hard to see why.
Thanks to the additional new equipment, this updated model is actually slightly chubbier, weighing 20kg more. However, as far as performance goes, the MINI Cooper has the same performance figures from before. The turbocharged 1.5-litre engine produces 134bhp and 200Nm of torque, propelling the car from 0 to 100km/h in 7.8secs and on to a top speed of 210km/h.
That said, the MINI still comes with all the compromises you would associate with a small, two-door hatchback. The boot is a measly 211 litres, and passengers won't take kindly to long rides in the rear seats. Try ferrying your grumpy 60-year old father sitting behind from Tampines to Jurong and you'll likely never hear the end of it.
So it's pretty much the same car, then?
That's more or less accurate. Yes, the styling is definitely improved and more contemporary, the new gearbox increases driving refinement, and the cabin offers more personalisation options than before, but beyond that the car isn't drastically different in any way.
That's not a bad thing though. This is still very much the MINI Cooper we fundamentally know and love. And let's face it, the MINI Cooper, especially in this three-door hatchback guise, isn't a car for everyone. There are much more practical and sensible offerings within the MINI lineup, whether it's the five-door, or the larger Countryman or the Clubman.
But perhaps more importantly, it's the car in the MINI lineup that best captures that slightly nostalgic appeal of the small, quirky and spritely feel of MINIs of the past. Some people just love that, and it's not at all hard to see why.
