Mini Cooper 3 DOOR

Overview

Mini has gone through great lengths to ensure that the new Cooper stays as close to the original roots of the car as possible with signature design cues such as near straight roof lines and window lines. The oval head lamps and fog lamps, along with the trademark trapezoidal grille and a trapezium shaped windscreen lend an edgy look to the car. As do the black glass house pillars, pillar less doors, protruding rear spoiler, black plastic cladding around the lower section of the body and the large rectangular tail lamps. There are no radical design cues here, and yet the three-door Mini Cooper looks very contemporary with its simple and elegant lines. 

Inside, the Mini Cooper is as funky as a Cooper should be. The dashboard has three layers, the top black plastic section, a middle section that can be ordered with a variety with material and colour options to choose from and a lower plastic section. The centre of the dash is dominated by a large oval housing for the infotainment display screen. Below this are the oval HVAC controls, under which lie the aircraft style switchgear. Controls for the infotainment system are located beside the hand brake lever. The chunky steering wheel is nice to hold and comes with controls for the infotainment system. Overall, quality of materials is good although some plastics could be better. The quality of switchgear is excellent. The seats are very comfortable too.

The Cooper three door is available with a set of potent powertrains that makes this compact little luxury car a joy to drive. The diesel Cooper is quite efficient and offers good driveability while the hot S version comes with a powerful twin turbo 2.0 litre engine that is quite a hoot to drive. 

Interior

Quality of materials used and fit and finish is great for the most part. Although, some panels could be better. Quality of switchgear used is top notch though and makes the car feel really expensive. The layout of the dash is also quite funky with the big oval housing for the infotainment screen along with air craft style switches. The front seats are very supportive and comfortable while the rear seats are comfortable as well.

Interiors Details

• Boot Space

  The Mini Cooper has 211 litre of boot space

• Speedometer

  The Mini Cooper has a clear to read speedo

• Gear Lever

  The Mini Cooper has a leather wrapped gear lever

• Cup Holders

  The Mini Cooper has front cup holders

• Glovebox

  The Mini Cooper has a spacious glovebox

• Audio System

  The Mini Cooper comes with an infotainment system

• Air Conditioner

  The Mini Cooper has climate control

• Arm Rests

  The Mini Cooper has a front centre arm rest

• Air Vents

  The Mini Cooper has large air vents

• Seats

  The Mini Cooper has comfortable seats

• Leg Room

  The Mini Cooper offers adequate leg room

• Knee Room

  There is enough knee room in the Mini Cooper

• Shoulder Space

  There is ample shoulder space in the Mini Cooper

• Head Room

  There is adequate headroom in the Mini Cooper

• Steering Wheel

  The Mini Cooper comes with a chunky steering wheel

• Power Windows

  The Mini Cooper comes with front power windows

• Keyless Entry

  The Mini Cooper comes with keyless entry

• Driver Information Display

  The Mini Cooper has a driver information display

Exterior

The three-door Mini Cooper has a contemporary exterior that blends funky design cues with signature design elements rather well.

Mileage Running Cost

The diesel Cooper has a commendable claimed efficiency of 25.6 km/l while the hot S model with a bigger petrol engine is claimed to return 18.2 km/l. 

Comfort Suspension

The Mini Cooper has excellent handling traits with minimal body roll, sharp handling and a responsive steering wheel. The wide tyres grip well and the balanced chassis makes this a real fun to drive car. The suspension cushions bumps well.

Engine Performance

The Mini Cooper's engines are potent units that provide great driving pleasure while also being refined.

Braking Safety

The Mini Cooper comes with excellent handling traits. While the car has predictable road manners, its limite of grip is rather high which means you can push the car that much more. Braking performance is great and the system is quite feelsome. The steering while accurate could do with more feedback.