MINI
Although under German BMW ownership, the MINI brand still trades on its British charm. Regardless, it’s diffi cult not to like the company’s fun attitude that pervades every one of its cars. Although the cars have grown and grown-up in recent years, they’re still exceptionally fun to drive.
RChoiceecommended Editor’s MINI Hatch
The modern day, BMW-developed car is marked out from the original by using capitals - MINI vs. Mini – which is apt, as it’s considerably bigger than the ‘60s icon. Nonetheless, it retains some of that car’s design features to this day and, crucial to its appeal, its fun-to-drive factor. If anything, MINI has enhanced that of late, with a wide track, direct steering and huge grip making the
OUR PICK OF THE RANGE 5 Door Cooper
hatchback the most entertaining car in the class to drive. That’s true of every version in the line-up, from the lowly entry-level MINI One right up to the tyre-shredding John Cooper Works hot hatch. There’s a more practical fi ve-door variant off ered across the range now as well, making it easier to get in the (slightly enlarged) back, if not really a rival in space terms for the likes of the Skoda Octavia.
OUR PICK OF THE RANGE Cooper D ALL4
OUR PICK OF THE RANGE Cooper D
RChoiceecommended Editor’s MINI Countryman
Some don’t like that the MINI isn’t very ‘mini’ anymore, so they best not dwell too much on the new-for-2017 Countryman, which is the largest vehicle to ever wear the MINI badge. It’s the company’s brand new SUV and it takes a considerable step forward in terms of chunkiness and quality over the fi rst generation. The upright styling mixes well with a few retro MINI cues and some distinctive highlights, such as the stepped roof and large ‘gills’ behind the front wheels. For now, the line-up features Cooper-badged models, from the entry-level petrol Cooper to the popular Cooper D and the high-performance Cooper S and SD. There’s four-wheel drive as an option and even a neat roll-out seat for the boot lip to sit on when you’re changing your wellies…
72 Auto Ireland Guide to New Cars 2017 AUTO IRELAND AND HARMONIA ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY VARIATIONS.
MINI Clubman
If you remember the original MINI Clubman, you’ll recall it had a very strange door layout, with a single conventional door on the passenger side, but two on the driver’s side. Not only that, but the back door was rear-hinged and could only be used when the front door was open. Very strange indeed. Thankfully, for the second generation, that’s gone, replaced by two regular doors on each side, and the rear seats are noticeably more spacious than in the MINI Hatch. One carryover quirk, however, are the vertically split rear doors for access to the boot. The split window does aff ect visibility, but we’ll forgive it that. The boot is larger than the regular MINI’s, but to call the Clubman a large estate would be to stretch the truth a tad. The full range of One and Cooper models are available, even one with four-wheel drive.
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MINI
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