► CAR’s first test of new petrol Mini Cooper
► More power and a radical new interior
► Still the best small fun car?
If you weren’t aware, Mini’s new 3-Door Hatch has a new name and is now known as the Cooper. The previous model was always one of the best superminis on sale, and even as timeless as Minis tend to be, at almost 10 years old it was due a refresh.
So step forward new Mini Cooper as the next stage of this cult icon’s history. Like its predecessor, it’s a British hero, rolling off the production line in Cowley, Oxford and with enough Union Jack reminders to keep the most ardent Brexiteer happy.
What’s new?
While this might be a new generation of Mini, it’s not strictly an entirely new product. It’s a tad confusing as while the almost-matching new Mini Cooper Electric is built on a new platform, and temporarily built in China, the regular petrol model is actually based on the old car’s underpinnings. So what we’ve got are two cars that look the same but under the body and massive screens, are completely different.
But the petrol Mini Cooper is far from a light facelift, with upgraded petrol engines on offer and a new interior design that is being used across all future Minis – including the new Countryman and imminently arriving Aceman crossover.
The basic gist is fewer buttons (sigh), more recycled materials including a woollen dashboard (excellent) and an crisp OLED touchscreen that finally is circular, rather than a square display haphazardly wedged into a circle, as has been the case for many years.
The design has also changed – and not for the better you could say. Mini has gone Union Jack crazy with its new rear lights, which can be changed to three different designs. All chrome has been ditched for environmental reasons and there’s a new octagonal grille. Unlike the EV, you still get black plastic wheelarch surrounds, and fingers crossed they don’t fade like they used to.
At a glance
Pros: Great fun to drive, quality interior, all the tech
Cons: The usual limited spaciousness caveat, no manual gearbox
What are the specs?
If you want your three-door Mini with petrol power, there are two options – Cooper C and Cooper S, each getting more power than before. All versions now use an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Yes, no manual option on a Mini, which is a royal shame.
Choose a Cooper C (tested here) and you get a 1.5-litre petrol engine producing 154bhp and 170lb ft of torque, up 20bhp and 7lb ft on before.
The naturally sportier Cooper S uses a 2.0-litre four-pot putting out 201bhp and 221lb ft of torque. Sprinting to 62mph in each will take 7.7 and 6.6 seconds respectively. You can expect a more raucous John Cooper Works model in the near future as well.
The only other thing to note is that if you want your Mini to have gearshift paddles (the closest you’ll get to a manual), you’ll need to choose the Sport trim for its slightly racier gearbox.
Mini doesn’t lead the way on the efficiency front, so expect around 47mpg from the Cooper and 44mpg from a Cooper S, obviously dependent on how lively you’re driving it. Choose a VW Polo or a hybrid Toyota Yaris if keeping those running costs down is a top priority.
What’s it like to drive?
While Mini’s Countryman might be more Maxi, the Cooper remains the baby and quintessential ‘Mini’. Bucking the trend for cars to keep getting bigger and bigger, it’s almost exactly the same dimensions as its predecessor, and at 3.85m, is still dinky by small car standards. There are some real links back to the original Mini, too (I can hear the comments rolling in already) with how you start the car with its ‘turn’ starter button, dials that are able to replicate the classic model’s and in true Mini fashion, the driving position is excellent.
You can get the seat nice and low with lots of steering wheel adjustment to engage that sporty driving experience. For the most fun, you want the Go-Kart mode engaged (one of seven). Mechanically it does very little but changes the dials and switches to red, naturally making you drive that bit quicker.
And it’s one of those cars that you’ll inevitably drive quickly. It’s a proper point-and-go car, you choose the line you want to take through a corner, no matter how sharp, and the car will stick. The grip levels in the dry are tremendous, inviting you to keep pushing this little hatchback on. It still drives like a Mini– high praise – in the fact it feels so light and nimble. It stays flat through even the most enthusiastic cornering and is a truly brilliant chassis – you can see why Mini didn’t want to change it.
The offset is that it’s not the most comfortable of small cars, but the ride is pretty compliant on our car’s 17-inch alloy wheels. Things get firmer if you choose the 18s (only briefly driven as a Cooper S), and while the sportier engine makes a much more enticing noise – the 1.5-litre in the ‘C’ can sound coarse – doesn’t feel significantly quicker. The John Cooper Works will be the one to watch out for.
What’s the interior like?
The interior is the most significant change on this new Mini Cooper, and it’s a postive step forward unless you refuse point-blank to engage with touchscreens. Yes, it’s no surprise that the cabin revolves around the screen but it’s one of the best on the market. Great to look at, intuitive to use and as slick as anything.
There are some fiddly small icons for changing the climate and heated seats (if fitted) but largely it works brilliantly. One small downside is that while it might have a brilliant circular display, if you choose to use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, you only get a fairly small rectangle to work with. Let’s hope future over-the-air updates rectify that.
The quality is brilliant, with its vegan-friendly ‘leather seats’ that are particularly smart given our car is entry-level trim and a fantastic knitted dashboard that isn’t just a box-ticking sustainability exercise but looks superb. I have slight longevity concerns about the material, mind.
The front space is impressive with generous storage and a particularly airy feeling, but not surprisingly room in the rear is minimal and the boot tiny, but you knew this anyway.
Before you buy
As with all Mini models, there are three trims available – the entry Classic, which is surprisingly well-finished, the racier Sport and the more premium-feeling Exclusive.
Standard equipment is generous, including full LED lights, the large touchscreen, dual-zone climate control and a reversing camera.
Prices kick from £23,150 for a Cooper C and £27,550 for a Cooper S. It might sound like a lot of money, but given the cheapest Volkswagen Polo with a turbocharged engine costs £21,915, and £30,195 for a Polo GTI, it suddenly seems a bit of a steal.
The only other things to consider are options, with Mini having three packs available – Level 1, 2 and 3, each commanding a £2,000 increase. Level 1 is worth choosing, though, bringing keyless entry, heated front seats, a head-up display and wireless smartphone charging.
Verdict
Mini might not have reinvented the wheel with its new petrol Cooper, but it has improved an already-winning package as part of this new generation. It’s still great fun to drive, even if there’s no manual, and easily has the best interior of any small car.
The only caveats are the ones that have always existed with the Mini – it’s not very useful if you ever need to carry people or items and it can get a bit expensive with options. But otherwise, this is a truly cracking small car, and that alone makes the world a better place.