Four years on from its debut, the third-generation
MINI Hatch has been given a facelift, which has just been launched in Malaysia.
As before, the fashionable supermini is available in two bodystyles, the F56 3
Door and the F55 5 Door, with numerous detail changes on both.
The 3 Door and 5 Door are available in Cooper S
form, with the 3 Door also being offered in the most powerful John Cooper Works
variant. The Cooper S 3 Door is priced at RM 226,888, while the 5 Door version
retails at RM 236,888. The JCW, meanwhile, costs RM 283,888. All prices are
on-the-road without insurance or GST, inclusive of a four-year,
unlimited-mileage warranty and a four-year/60,000 km free service package.
The big news is under the bonnet, where you’ll now
find a new 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol engine from the BMW Group. It benefits
from numerous upgrades to the engine itself, the turbocharger, engine
electronics, oil supply, intake air ducting, cooling and exhaust. For instance,
the direct injection system now delivers fuel at a higher pressure, while the
turbo fins are made of a more heat-resistant material. The engine cover is also
now made from carbon fibre, making it 13% lighter than before.
All this means that while outputs on the Cooper S
remain identical at 192 hp and 280 Nm of torque, the new mill achieves a five
percent improvement in fuel consumption, rated at 5.5 and 5.6 litres per 100 km
for the 3 Door and 5 Door respectively. On the JCW, the engine is boosted to
231 hp and 320 Nm, and has a fuel consumption figure of 6.0 litres per 100 km.
As for performance, the 3 Door goes from zero to 100
km/h in 6.7 seconds, while the 5 Door completes the same sprint a tenth slower
at 6.8 seconds; both will hit 235 km/h. The JCW, on the other hand, blitzes its
way to 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds before reaching a top speed of 246 km/h.
Even bigger news is that the old six-speed automatic
gearbox has been ditched in favour of a new seven-speed wet dual-clutch
transmission on the Cooper S, which is claimed to provide smoother, faster
shifts with zero interruption. The JCW instead gets an eight-speed torque
converter automatic.
Both sports transmissions will now allow the car to
coast in the default Mid drive mode, instead of only in the most economical
Green mode. They are operated using a new BMW-style electronic gearlever and
paddle shifters on the standard-fit JCW multifunction steering wheel.
Very few changes can be found on the outside, with
the only discernible difference (apart from the flatter MINI badges) being the
new light units. The headlights, which are still bi-LED, get redesigned LED
daytime running lights – which also function as indicators – that form a full
ring around the new projectors. But it’s the intricate Union Jack full-LED tail
lights that really steal the show.
The Cooper S 5 Door goes one further with the
fitment of the John Cooper Works aerodynamic kit that consists of an angrier
front bumper with a protruding centre air intake, deeper side skirts, a more
aggressive rear diffuser design and a larger tailgate spoiler. As for wheels,
the 3 Door comes with 17-inch Cosmos Spoke alloy wheels, while the 5 Door gains
JCW Track Spoke rollers – both are finished in black.
The JCW gets the same exterior kit as the 5 Door,
plus an even bigger rear spoiler, piano black instead of chrome exterior trim
and unique side scuttles on the front fenders. It rolls on 18-inch JCW Cup
Spoke alloys hiding larger JCW brakes with red brake callipers, and linked to
retuned suspension with adaptive dampers.
On the inside, the Cooper S 3 Door receive the new
MINI Yours Illuminated Cockpit, which consists of trim panels featuring
stylised Union Jack graphics, lit up in 12 available colours. The 5 Door makes
do with Black Chequered trim, but the seats on both models are upholstered in
Cross Punch Carbon Black leather.
The JCW stands out with bespoke sports seats
upholstered in Carbon Black leather and Dinamica microfibre, as well as Glowing
Red interior trim, JCW-badged side sill plates (also fitted on the Cooper S 5
Door) and stainless steel pedals. Like the Cooper S 3 Door, it also gets the
MINI Yours Illuminated Cockpit.
Also fitted on both the Cooper S 3 Door and 5 Door
is a revised MINI Visual Boost infotainment system, now with a touchscreen –
albeit still the smaller unit measuring 6.5 inches, rather than the 8.8-inch
item fitted to the JCW. The latter also receives a 12-speaker Harman Kardon
sound system, a head-up display, Qi wireless smartphone charging and a
panoramic sliding sunroof.
Other standard features include MINI Logo Projection
puddle lights, Comfort Access keyless entry, a toggle switch engine starter,
auto lights and wipers, dual-zone automatic climate control, reverse sensors
and a reverse camera. Safety-wise, all models come with six airbags and Dynamic
Stability Control with an electronic differential lock, but none are offered
with autonomous emergency braking.
The colour palette includes Chilli Red and Pepper
White across the range, with the Cooper S also available in White Silver, British
Racing Green and the new Starlight Blue. The 5 Door version receives an
exclusive Emerald Grey, while the 3 Door gets Thunder Grey and the also-new
Solaris Orange.
Moving over to the JCW, the high-performance model
is offered in Rebel Green and Midnight Black as its exclusive hues. The Cooper
S 3 Door and 5 Door is available with a black or white roof, door mirror caps
and sports stripes, while the JCW has them in either black or red.
Interestingly, MINI Malaysia is introducing MINI
Yours Customised Accessories for the first time in South East Asia. The service
offers retrofitted accessories like the side scuttles, the dash fascia,
illuminated door sills and door projectors all personalised to the owners
preferences. Buyers can design their accessories at www.yours-customised.mini.