The very mention of the Paceman is bound to rub certain people the wrong way. Die-hard MINI fans out there will probably pop a blood vessel when they look at a Paceman for the first time, and critics may dismiss MINI's latest product as yet another attempt to generate revenue from style-conscious motorists.
Unveiled at the 2011 Detroit Motor Show as a concept, MINI claims that the Paceman will appeal to 'young, modern, extrovert urbanites' who want to stand out from the crowd.
The Paceman is essentially a three-door version of the Countryman with a unique sheet metal after the A-pillars, although MINI describes it as a unique blend of an SUV, a coupe and a hatchback, thus its sports activity coupe moniker in the premium small and compact segment.
The idea behind the Paceman - the seventh model in MINI's ever-expanding lineup - is to create a new segment by combining the performance of a MINI hatch and the practicality of a Countryman. But it's apparent that the Paceman also brings something else to the table - a style of its own.
Exterior
The overall look of the Paceman won't come as a surprise to those familiar with MINI models, particularly the Countryman.
Unveiled at the 2011 Detroit Motor Show as a concept, MINI claims that the Paceman will appeal to 'young, modern, extrovert urbanites' who want to stand out from the crowd.
The Paceman is essentially a three-door version of the Countryman with a unique sheet metal after the A-pillars, although MINI describes it as a unique blend of an SUV, a coupe and a hatchback, thus its sports activity coupe moniker in the premium small and compact segment.
The idea behind the Paceman - the seventh model in MINI's ever-expanding lineup - is to create a new segment by combining the performance of a MINI hatch and the practicality of a Countryman. But it's apparent that the Paceman also brings something else to the table - a style of its own.
Exterior
The overall look of the Paceman won't come as a surprise to those familiar with MINI models, particularly the Countryman.
From the windshield forward, the Paceman and Countryman are, in fact, identical - down to the layout of the headlights and hexagonal grille.
The Paceman is short from the nose to the tail and sports muscular rear hips, giving it a stocky look that fits perfectly with MINI's trademark 'Bulldog stance'.
Sitting on the same structure as the Countryman, the Paceman shares the five-door's wheelbase and track.
Thanks to its chopped roof however, the Paceman sits 40mm lower than the Countryman. Combine that with a rising waistline that converges at the rear of the car and an athletic look is achieved.
Perhaps the most distinctive design feature at the rear is an enormous 'Paceman' lettering across the tailgate - scoring points for its exclusivity.
Interior
The interior of the Paceman is standard MINI fare which embodies funky design and rather high quality materials. Familiar features such as an enormous speedometer mounted at the centre of the dash while toggle switches around the centre console are retained.
Perhaps a stark difference with other MINI models is the intuitive location of window toggle switches on the doors.
We were happy to have them in the correct place, though we admit to being creatures of habit and occasionally reaching towards the centre console to roll the windows up or down.
The interior of the Paceman is standard MINI fare which embodies funky design and rather high quality materials. Familiar features such as an enormous speedometer mounted at the centre of the dash while toggle switches around the centre console are retained.
Perhaps a stark difference with other MINI models is the intuitive location of window toggle switches on the doors.
We were happy to have them in the correct place, though we admit to being creatures of habit and occasionally reaching towards the centre console to roll the windows up or down.
The Paceman is strictly a four-seater with its left and right seats separated by a reconfigurable centre rail console into which you can slot all kinds of shapely holders for cups, sunglasses and even phones.
The rear seats are perfectly spacious, though the sloping roofline of the Paceman does cut into a little bit of rear passengers' headroom.
That said, ingress and egress isn't hampered by that fact and rear passengers shouldn't be stretching too much muscle to get in or out.
The rear seats are perfectly spacious, though the sloping roofline of the Paceman does cut into a little bit of rear passengers' headroom.
That said, ingress and egress isn't hampered by that fact and rear passengers shouldn't be stretching too much muscle to get in or out.
The Drive
The 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged lump under the bonnet of the Paceman pumps out 181bhp and 240Nm of torque.
Mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, gearshifts are silky smooth, which propels the Paceman to the century mark in 7.8 seconds, 0.1 seconds faster than its five-door cousin.
Throttle response is sharp and turbo lag is minimal in the Paceman, which give zest at every tap of the accelerator. Push pedal to the metal and soon you will realise that the speedometer starts to display an illegal number.
With a lower overall height than the Countryman - which gives the Paceman a slightly lower centre of gravity - the Paceman still provides a high driving position and the commanding view of the road ahead is a welcome one.
The 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged lump under the bonnet of the Paceman pumps out 181bhp and 240Nm of torque.
Mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, gearshifts are silky smooth, which propels the Paceman to the century mark in 7.8 seconds, 0.1 seconds faster than its five-door cousin.
Throttle response is sharp and turbo lag is minimal in the Paceman, which give zest at every tap of the accelerator. Push pedal to the metal and soon you will realise that the speedometer starts to display an illegal number.
With a lower overall height than the Countryman - which gives the Paceman a slightly lower centre of gravity - the Paceman still provides a high driving position and the commanding view of the road ahead is a welcome one.
The Paceman's steering is accurate and responsive, and the suspension does a reasonable job of keeping body movements in check while maintaining a lively ride.
Unfortunately, it can't quite match the intuitive responses of the Hatch, but it isn't that far off, either.
Conclusion
While it's unclear how many more times MINI will be able to do the same as it did with the Paceman in a new niche, one thing's for sure - the Paceman brings crossover coupe styling to a new audience.
The Paceman is design-driven, fun, and still comes in handy - if you don't need a lot of space, why not add some style?
Unfortunately, it can't quite match the intuitive responses of the Hatch, but it isn't that far off, either.
Conclusion
While it's unclear how many more times MINI will be able to do the same as it did with the Paceman in a new niche, one thing's for sure - the Paceman brings crossover coupe styling to a new audience.
The Paceman is design-driven, fun, and still comes in handy - if you don't need a lot of space, why not add some style?
