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All grown up: 2018 MINI Cooper 5-door hatch

The kilowatts never quit

Pics by BMW-Motorpresse
Posted: 8 November 2018

The numbers
Basic price; R401 400
Engine: 1499 cc, three-cylinder, 12-valve turbopetrol
Power: 100 kW between 4500 and 6500 rpm
Torque: 220 Nm between 1480 and 4200 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 8.1 seconds
Real life fuel consumption: About 8.3 l/100 km
Tank: 40 litres
Luggage: 278 – 941 litres
Standard tyre size: 195/55R16
Speed Rating: 87W
Puncture repair: Pump kit
Warranty and maintenance: 5 years / 100 000 km
Roadside assistance: All day, everyday

What’s new:
•       LED headlights with self-dipping function for the high beam.
•       LED rear lights in Union Jack design.
•       New MINI logo, new body finishes, Piano Black exterior.
•       New light alloy wheels.
•       Extended range of leather trim, interior surfaces and Colour Lines.
•       Unique individualisation with MINI Yours Customised.
•       Increased capacity and torque for MINI One.
•       7-speed double clutch or 8-speed Steptronic transmissions.
•       Music system with 6.5-inch colour screen, USB and Bluetooth interface as standard.
•       Optional radio and navigation systems with touchscreen monitor.
•       Telephony with wireless charging.
•       MINI logo projection from the exterior mirror on the driver's side.
•       MINI Connected and MINI Connected XL with new functions.

The Mini brand has led a dramatic, some might say tortured, life. Since being born into tough times following the first fuel crisis of 1956, it was shunted from loving homes at Austin and Morris into foster care, onto adoption and finally to spiritual rebirth in the BMW family.

It grew over time; as would be expected of “someone” now pushing sixty years of age. The original three-door buzz-box was 3054 mm long on a wheelbase of 2036 mm, 1397 mm wide and 1346 mm tall. Four tall and skinny teenagers could fit inside. It was cramped but we were all good mates so it was okay. Today’s three-door is 767 mm longer on 459 mm more wheelbase, 330 mm wider and 68 mm taller.

It also grew up; losing its noisy engine, whistling windows, tooth rattling suspension and minimal creature comforts to become almost embarrassingly civilised - as we all do eventually, whether we like it or not, because modern society demands it. You know what we mean – airbags, ABS, ESP, air conditioning, powered everything and the great non-negotiable, Connectivity.

We drove a modern, five-door hatchback, in the Cooper state of tune, recently. It is even bigger, 161 mm longer, than the newest three-door and is based on a chassis that’s 72 mm longer. Although MINI’s press office insists that five adults can fit inside (there are three seatbelts back there), we believe that today’s four large teenagers would still need to be really good buddies while travelling together in one. A fifth would have to place his or her feet awkwardly on either side of the tall central console that stretches all the way to the rear seat cushion.

MINI has thankfully abandoned its brief flirtation with “Go Kart-like handling” because it was simply twitchy and unpleasant. The original car, while “interesting”, noisy and even a bit rough to live with, was never unpleasantly skittish.

The 2018 five-door Cooper is a driver’s car with a decently powerful engine – the torque band goes on forever and the kilowatts never quit – and, optionally, a responsive seven-speed dual clutch automatic. Its steering is pleasantly weighted, it handles well and it turns on a 1959 sixpence. We wanted to say, “on a 1959 tickey” but it needs 11 metres between kerbs and there are some other modern cars that turn tighter than that. But few are quite as civilised, well bolted together or as connected - as one becomes with “spreading” middle age and advancing years.

The hatchback range, that is to say not Clubman, not Convertible and not Countryman consists of 15 choices. You get three- or five-door; manual or automatic; 75-kW One at entry level, Cooper and Cooper S models; a 1499 GT and a pair of three-door John Cooper Works devices with170-kW, two-litre engines. Prices range from R302 200 to R512 865, placing our test car somewhere in the middle. In true BMW fashion, all are extremely customisable with optional colour lines, packs, wheels and trim items.

Unlike the original Minis, where the only choices were colour and whether you opted for a radio, today’s MINI has moved on. And grown up. We like it.

Test unit from BMWSA press fleet

Other MINI Cooper reviews:

2016 Convertible

2017 Countryman

What We Do

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 ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle 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.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles.  And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

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