Cover is blown on bold new MINI
Cover is blown on bold new MINI We scoop third generation of British baby, which gets sharp looks, new platform and hi-tech engines.
The most important new MINI is nearly here – and the next-generation hatchback promises to be more practical, cheaper to run and even more fun to drive.
Our pictures show how the third instalment of the retro-inspired hatch will look. They’re based on exclusive information, as well as spy shots, after we caught the newcomer testing for the first time in Germany.
At the Detroit Motor Show back in January, BMW’s director of design, Adrian van Hooydonk, told Auto Express: “With the third-generation MINI, perhaps it’s time to try something a little more experimental.” And new design chief Anders Warming will want to put his own stamp on the brand, after taking over from Gert Hildebrand at the end of last year. That means fans can expect the fresh hatch to lay a blueprint for a whole new generation of models.
A rising shoulder line and the trademark ‘floating’ roof give the MINI a more wedgy and dynamic profile, while the steeply raked windscreen adds to the sportier stance. The upper grille is more prominent, with bold horizontal chrome bars, and it’s flanked by less upright headlights, creating a more aggressive front end.
A strong crease runs from underneath the blacked-out A-pillar to the rear haunches, emphasising the more muscular bodywork. Even more important than the fresh styling direction, though, is what’s under the skin. The MINI will ride on an all-
ew front-wheel-drive platform that will be shared throughout the line-up, and even adopted by a forthcoming entry-level front-wheel-drive BMW. According to our sources, the plan is to build one million MINIs and BMWs based on this chassis by 2020.
The platform is slightly longer than the current model’s, and will free up more room inside. Limited cabin space is a common complaint with the present hatch, and an area where the new Audi A1 has leapt ahead. The chassis will deliver improved comfort and refinement, too. And as it’s more versatile, there will be a five-door version (see panel, opposite), for the first time in the modern MINI era. This will help to expand the car’s appeal to young families.
Nevertheless, the current platform has plenty of life left in it. This will underpin the MINI Coupé (driven on Page 34), MINI Roadster (due early next year) and three-door Countryman (due in 2013), which is based on the Paceman concept.
From 2013, when the third-generation model you see here arrives, BMW will start to roll out its exciting new range. Under the bonnet, the hatchback will also showcase a fresh line-up of powerful and efficient engines, all equipped with stop-start.
Four-cylinder petrol and diesel units will be borrowed from the new 1-Series – that means a 2.0-litre oil-burner with up to around 143bhp in the Cooper SD, while a new direct-injection 1.6-litre petrol turbo will offer around 180bhp in the Cooper S and 220bhp in the JCW.
However, the big news is the arrival of a raft of super-efficient three-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. These are capable of returning close to 100mpg in their most efficient form, and emitting around 80g/km of CO2. Available from launch in 2013, the 1.5-litre units are likely to produce up to 150bhp in petrol guise and 130bhp in diesel. There’s even talk that the former could boast 200bhp-plus in a highly tuned state, rendering more thirsty four-cylinder motors redundant.
Expect to see the new MINI make its public debut at a major motor show next year, before it lands in dealers in 2013.
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