Motoring Middle East: Car news, Reviews and Buying guides

Chunkier, safer and better handling for Mk3 MINI
By Imthishan Giado

Has it really been twelve years since the first of the reborn MINIs rolled off the line at Oxford? Yes, the new MINI is now ready for junior high and in this, its third ‘generation’, the MINI is trying to look all grownup and proper.

You could be forgiven for thinking that it doesn’t look dramatically different than the outgoing car (which we love as long as it’s standard) but MINI understands how fans could revolt if that traditionally cute look was cast aside. So the car is broadly similar in appearance but crucially, larger in every dimension – 4.5 inches longer, 1.7 inches  and 0.3 inches higher. If you’re thinking, “something’s up with that front end but I can’t quite put my finger on it…” you’re not crazy – the bonnet has been raised to provide greater pedestrian safety. Unfortunately as a result the other design elements – headlights, grille and foglamps  – have been supersized to keep everything in proportion so it does have the effect of making the new Cooper look a bit cross eyed.

Since this is a ground-up new car, everything is bang up to date. Options include LED headlights, five new colours (with contrast options available for the roof, natch), brand new six-speed manual and automatic transmissions (the former with rev-matching), updated electric power steering that resists torque steer, redesigned suspension and most interesting of all, electronically-controlled dampers with Comfort and Sport settings. I can’t get enough of these things – why choose between rock-hard track suspension and comfy roly-poly shocks for the city when you can have both?

The interior is a huge, huge step up from the old car. Where the old car was filled with fussy details and quirk-for-quirk’s-sake holdovers like the central speedo, the new MINI looks like a grown-up. Finally – finally! – the speedo is relocated to being in front of the driver. The centre console retains the dinner-plate sized circular screen but it’s now used for nav and information. Below also remain the traditional array of chrome-plated toggle switches with one added for a starter, although the window switches have moved to the actual doors themselves.

Engine-wise, you’re looking at two all-new mills. The base Cooper will receive a 1.5-litre three-cylinder (is it the same one as the BMW i8? probably) good for 134bhp and 162lb ft of torque, available from just 1250rpm. Trade up to the Cooper S and you get a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine punting 189bhp and 207lb ft of torque – 221 lb ft if you keep your foot in and wait for the turbo to ‘overboost‘.

The new MINI Cooper can been at the LA Auto Show and officially goes on sale in March, with no GCC launch date available at the time of publication.