The new third-generation of the MINI has been revealed at the firm's Oxford factory ahead of simultaneous motor show debuts in Tokyo and LA later this month.
And the first thing you'll notice about the new car is that it is very -- and we mean very -- recognisable as the latest evolution of the original Mini of 1959, designed by one Sir Alec Issigonis, who, incidentally, would have been 107 years old today. In short, MINI's designers have taken a leaf from the Porsche 911 book of design in creating the new car, but given the iconic nature of the MINI, we can't really criticise them for that.
But while the new MINI may look almost identical to the model it replaces, MINI claims that it's a ground-up redesign. It's 98mm longer, 44mm wider and 7mm taller than its predecessor and as a result boot space is up by 30 per cent to 211-litres.
One area in which the MINI hasn't grown, however, is under the bonnet. Gone is the old 1.6-litre unit fitted to the outgoing car and in its place are a 1.5-litre three-cylinder unit in the Cooper, a 1.5-litre three-cylinder diesel in the Cooper D and a 2.0-litre four-pot petrol in the Cooper S.
The Cooper produces 134bhp, the Cooper D 114bhp and the Cooper S 189bhp. The diesel will also manage to return a pretty impressive 80.7mpg while emitting a tax-busting 92g/km while even the rorty Cooper S will manage 49.6mpg and 133g/km.
Three gearboxes will be offered: a six-speed manual, a six-speed automatic and a sports version of the automatic, with shorter shift times and flappy paddles.
Underneath, the suspension has been tweaked, with MacPherson struts at the front and a new version of BMW's Z-axle multi-link suspension at the rear. MINI has also used a lot of aluminium and high-strength steel in the MINI's suspension which it claims reduces weight and improves rigidity and refinement. Variable damper control is also available as an option, offering two set-ups: Comfort and Sport.
On the inside, it's all standard MINI fare. The huge central speedometer remains but no longer tells you how fast you're going -- it's now a large central display. There's also now an 8.8-inch screen to display the infotainment settings with two BMW i-Drive-style controllers.
The new MINI Cooper will go on sale in the UK next year with a starting price of £15,300 -- a £400 hike over the outgoing model. The Cooper D meanwhile will cost from £16,450 while the Cooper S will start at £18,650.
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