New MINI Cooper five-door offers added practicality
Image: Supplied
MINI on Wednesday revealed a new five-door version of its latest Cooper hatchback.
To accommodate those two extra doors MINI has stretched the vehicle's body by 172mm and increased its wheelbase by 72mm. This also has a positive effect on interior space with the carmaker claiming the cabin can seat up to five passengers in comfort. 60:40 folding rear seats increase the luggage compartment capacity from 275l to 925l.
Image: Supplied
Added practicality aside, the Cooper five-door retains the familiar MINI styling chops applied to the three-door. This means you get short front/rear overhangs, pronounced wheel arches, an octagonal radiator grille and a set of sleek LED headlamp clusters, home to horizontal LED daytime running lights with three selectable signatures. The rear sports a pair of redesigned matrix tail light clusters emblazoned with a Union Jack motif.
Personalisation options abound, with customers able to select between Essential, Classic, Favoured and JCW trim packages. Eleven exterior paint colours are available and each can be offset by a choice of three contrasting roof hues. There is also a multi-tone option with a gradual colour gradient. MINI says the tyre diameter is larger than on the outgoing model and can be paired with optimised wheel designs ranging in size from 16" to 18”.
Open that compact bonnet and you will be met by one of two petrol engines. The Cooper C gets a turbocharged 1.5l three-cylinder making 115kW and 230Nm of torque, good for 0-100km/h in a claimed 8.0 seconds and a maximum speed of 225km/h. The sportier Cooper S comes bolted to a 2.0l four-cylinder turbo mill pushing out 150kW and 300Nm. Expect 0-100km/h in a claimed 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 242km/h.
An upgraded suspension system with modified damping, plus an improved braking package should make the Cooper five-door better to drive than its predecessor.
Headlining features of the vehicle's minimalist cabin include a new steering wheel design, characteristic toggle bar and above it a gigantic circular OLED display offering full access to vehicle and infotainment settings. Crucial driving data such as speed and fuel consumption is displayed at the top of the screen, while the lower portion contains shortcuts for menu items such as navigation, media, telephony and climate control. It also offers access to Mini Experience Modes: an option which, when fitted, offers a new level of personalisation through dashboard graphics, ambient lighting and interior sounds.
The new MINI Cooper five-door will arrive in South Africa during the third quarter.