SA Roadtests
South Africa
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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get at home.
Unlike most car reports, what you read in these pages will not be a faithful reproduction, albeit slightly reworded, of what appeared in the manufacturer's press release. We look for background material, user experience and whatever else we can find that's beyond the obvious. Our guiding rule is that you will be able to tell that the car was actually driven.
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Pics: BMW Autopresse
Posted: 23 October 2014
We’re thawing to the MINI – not exactly warming, because it’s still only a BMW in short pants, but we’re getting there.
In some ways it’s what BMWs used to be until they became just another luxury brand with all the soul engineered out. With hard suspension, buckets of power, much hyperbole and far too many toys, they’ve become sanitised and boring.
Some facets of the new Cooper S hatch remind us of what its mother company used to produce – taut, snug, quick and responsive cars with character. The new MINI is all those things when you drive it with intent to enjoy, but left to mindless dawdling through traffic you might as well spend similar money on a 1-series. That way you get fair people room and more luggage space.
The little hatchback has undergone significant changes for 2014. To begin, the 1600 cc Prince motor, with outputs ranging from 72 kW to 155, has gone. In its place is a range of three engines; a three-cylinder 1496 cc turbodiesel producing 85 kilowatts, another three-pot, but petrol fired, turbo displacing 1499 cc and putting out 100 kW, and the S with its 1998 cc four-cylinder twin-turbo delivering 141 kW and 280 Nm. Its closest equivalent from the Prince range produced 135 kW and 260 Nm.
Apart from being less highly stressed, the two-litre sprints to 100 km/h almost a second-and-a-half more rapidly and on to a terminal speed that’s five km/h faster. The other major change is that it’s bigger - again. Length is up by 98 mm, its wheelbase is 28 mm greater, there’s 44 mm more width and it stands 7 millimetres taller. Front and rear tracks are 42 and 34 mm wider, respectively. All this translates to slightly more space inside and a boot that’s 51 litres larger.
The six-speed automatic gearbox, the first MINI we have driven with one, has undergone changes to make it more responsive and economical. But the biggest culture shock of all is that the speedometer has shrunk to the size of a medium saucer and is (at last) where it should be – in the driver’s line of vision. That, and automatic transmission, in a MINI, was almost more than we could adjust to. But seriously, it’s a good move and even though the dial is a little crowded, it’s an improvement. You can always call up a digital readout to supplement the analogue face if you like.
Source of much complaint from traditionalists is that MINIs are no longer cheap and cheerful little shopping carts for the masses because, as with everything, progress intervened. And the new owners could scarcely cheapen their primary brand, could they? That’s why today’s thoroughly modern MINI comes standard with lots of kit; especially of the safety and electronic kinds.
Six airbags is the obvious first step followed by ABS brakes with EBD and BA, cornering brake control, dynamic stability control, drive-off assistance, brake drying, fading brake support and dynamic traction control. And when you get cute and switch off the DSC because you want to play with your insurance policy, an electronic differential lock kicks in to rescue you from some of your silliness.
Then because this is a Cooper S, a gadget called Performance Control is thrown in free. It applies a bit more power to the outer steered wheel while adding a dab of braking to the inner one; so it sort-of self-steers – a bit like contra-rotating the propellors of a ship to make docking easier.
Other standard neat stuff includes sports seats, with height adjusters and lumbar control on both, for those in front; a sporty leather-covered steering wheel; ISOFix for child seats; rain sensing wipers and automatic headlights; automatic, filtered air conditioning and cruise control with braking function. Other features mentioned in the literature aren’t in the “thank goodness we get that for free” class, so let’s skip them.
Items not in the base price but we reckon should be, were such “options” as the carbon dioxide tax, steering wheel satellite buttons, rear PDC and camera, onboard computer for monitoring fuel consumption, and Bluetooth preparation with USB audio interface. Other kit added to our test car included comfort access (keyless entry and toggle-switch start), LED fog lamps and headlights, sports suspension settings, warmed and folding outside mirrors with anti-dazzle, bonnet stripes, a roof spoiler, a two-part sunroof, an adjustable shelf for the boot, satnav, a DVD shuttle that effectively fills the tiny glove box, various appearance packs and a three-way drive mode selector.
This was quite fun to play with, giving users a choice of Green mode, Mid (read normal) and Sport. The latter tweaks up throttle and steering responses so it drives a bit more like a go-kart; not as hyper-twitchy as they were five years ago, thank heavens – just pleasant fun. Would we pay extra for it? Probably not, but if you’re paying almost R380 000 for the basic car, why not go the whole hog?
Having mentioned the car’s increased size, let’s see whether it works. The hatch lid opens to mid-thigh level to reveal a neat, rectangular space with a lip about eight centimetres deep, with the optional divider floorboard in place. Under that is a neat cavity, not quite the same width as the main cargo area, for items you would rather keep hidden. Four lashing rings and a light help things along but don’t look for a spare wheel – the tyres are runflats.
The rear seatbacks fold 2/3:1/3 and leave a slight step. That’s when you notice a pair of swing-up latches that enable setting the seatbacks to almost vertical. It adds a little cargo volume but makes the chairs almost impossible to sit in. Headroom, already limited because of the optional sunroof, becomes marginal for anyone taller than about 1.5-metres. Shoe-horning a 1.85-metre tester in behind his properly adjusted front seat required splayed knees, cramped feet and general discomfort. Putting the backrests back where they belong, returns head space to tolerable. There are three cup holders, two belts and a pair of head restraints. The cushions are moulded for two occupants.
Moving forward, the sports seats were possibly the nicest we have ever found in a MINI; decently supportive without being too narrow, they featured under-thigh extenders which we of loftier construction always appreciate. We cannot say whether the upgraded six-speed auto ‘box was any better than previous versions because this was our first experience of a clutchless MINI. But we would rate it equal to other BMW Tiptronics we have used – it’s everything it should be.
The cockpit, with its toggles for auto stop-start, optional starting switch and ESP on-off on the lower level and a further row on the ceiling for internal lights, was very retro to look at and added to the small-aircraft feel of the interior. Space for storing loose items wasn’t particularly generous, but one must just learn to be tidy, yes?
Finally: The new Cooper S is easier to live with than previous models, but still a BMW in short pants. It’s an acquired taste.
Test car from BMW SA press fleet
The numbers
Base Price: R378 618-20 (automatic, with CO2 tax)
Price as tested: R483 180-00
Engine: 1998 cc, DOHC, 16-valve, twin turbo four-cylinder
Power: 141 kW between 4700 and 6000 rpm
Torque: 280 Nm between 1250 and 4750 rpm (300 Nm on overboost)
Power to weight ratio: 8.3 kg/kW DIN
Zero to 100 km/h: 6.7 seconds
Maximum speed: 233 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 7.7 l/100 km
Tank: 44 litres
Boot: 211 litres
Warranty: 2 years/unlimited km
Motorplan: 3 years/75 000 km
Our report on the 2009 Cooper S is here
This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.
I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8