The BMW-Mini Thread

Mini Hatch (2021) Launch Review

We recently attended the local launch of the facelifted Mini Hatch. Although the changes that the Oxford-based brand made to the range were mostly cosmetic in nature, we were eager to find out whether the British hatchback and its soft-top variant had retained their fun-to-drive character and non-conformist appeal…

Summary

The latest round of changes brings the Hatch and Convertible up to date with the rest of the Mini portfolio. Mini customers will always appreciate a wider range of options because it offers them even greater scope to express/show off their individualism; with the current array of colour, wheel, interior and roof options, there’s a great chance no two Mini Coopers will be specced alike. The absolute win here is that while the world moves into an era of semi-autonomous driving and electrified drivetrains, the Mini range continues to offer fun-to-drive dynamics, modern connectivity as well as a good dose of trendiness.

When Mini decided to “upsize” with the more family-oriented Clubman and Countryman, some feared the hatchback (and its convertible variant) would gradually fade into obscurity. However, having driven the updated model, we believe the Mini Hatch still oozes charm; it’s bound to attract a new generation of upwardly mobile buyers who crave cars with which they can express their individualism. With various body configurations and powertrains to choose from – not to mention a plethora of ways to personalise your Mini to heart’s content (budget permitting, of course) – there’s a Hatch for all tastes.


Mini 1.jpegMini 2.jpegMini 3.jpegMini 4.jpegMini 5.jpegMini 6.jpegMini 7.jpegMini 8.jpegMini 9.jpegMini 10.jpeg
 
DRIVEN | The original 'go-kart' improved - Updated Mini Cooper now available in SA

• The new Mini Cooper has officially been launched in South Africa.

• Several models make up the range, including a Convertible.

• Two turbocharged engines power the refreshed line-up.

In summary

Since 1959, Mini has been producing some fun cars. True, there has only been the original occupying the portfolio, but that all changed in 2001 with the introduction of the all-new model under BMW ownership.

2001 not only heralded the first new Mini in how many decades, but it also introduced several body shapes after the relaunch twenty years ago. The original Hatch continued but was, in due time, flanked by the Clubman, Countryman, and Convertible. Mini's portfolio today is a continuation of two decades of development and improvement. And it shows.

Prices:

One Hatch 3-door R420 000
One Hatch 5-door R430 000
Cooper Hatch 3-door R469 500
Cooper Hatch 5-door R479 500
Cooper S Hatch 3-door R530 000
Cooper S Hatch 5-door R540 000
Cooper SE Hatch 3-door R658 000
Cooper Convertible R533 000
Cooper S Convertible R614 000

 
REVIEW | 2021 Mini Cooper SE: Is SA's cheapest electric car worthy of its R680k price tag?

•Three-door only hatchback format available.
•Petrol engine replaced with electric motor and battery pack.
•Sumptuous and highly connected with luxury car feel.

Overall, the Mini Cooper SE proves to be a fantastic electric car. It will work perfectly as your first EV as you get used to driving electric vehicles, and you get into the habits of charging your car and how to get the best out of it. You know, we've been conditioned for so many years that nice exhaust notes and purring engines are what you want. Still, when you experience good cars like these Mini EVs, you start to see that there's so much more to this electric vehicle transition than meets the eye and that cars are going to get even more exciting as more EVs arrive in SA.

I'd say give the Mini Cooper SE all-electric car a shot if you want to experience something different but still familiar. It has this wonderful sense of charm to it, and it drives so smoothly and with such vigour that you'll have this permanent grin on your face. Prices start at R686 400 before options.

Latest 2021 Mini Pricing in South Africa:

One Hatch 3-door - R420 000
One Hatch 5-door - R430 000
Cooper Hatch 3-door - R469 500
Cooper Hatch 5-door - R479 500
Cooper S Hatch 3-door - R530 000
Cooper S Hatch 5-door - R540 000
Cooper SE Hatch 3-door - R658 000 (on test)
Cooper Convertible - R533 000
Cooper S Convertible - R614 000

 
DRIVEN: Updated MINI Hatch and Convertible remain fun options

However, our days of petrol exploitation are nearing an end and MINI has an alternative called the Cooper SE. We didn't get to drive it but I hope to remedy that soon. The SE offers more than 200km of electric range from its 32.6 kWh battery system and produces 135kW and 270Nm, sending its power to the front wheels.

The updated MINI retains its outstanding character which is what we have come to love about it over the years. It remains funky, fresh and fun-to-drive. It is an icon in its own right and now more refined than ever.

PRICING

MINI Hatch One 3-door – R420 000
MINI Hatch Cooper 3-door – R469 500
MINI Hatch Cooper S 3-door – R530 400
MINI Hatch John Cooper Works – R615 000
MINI Hatch One 5-door – R430 000
MINI Hatch Cooper 5-door – R479 500
MINI Hatch Cooper S 5-door – R540 000
MINI Convertible Cooper – R533 000
MINI Convertible Cooper S – R614 000

 
Mini plots radical new-look line-up but familiar hatch

Design chief talks of a new approach for an expanded, more varied model range

Mini has nearly signed off the designs of its next generation of models, which include smaller and bigger models with a mix of petrol and electric power.

Design boss Oliver Heilmer, speaking to Autocar at the recent Munich motor show, promised an evolution in style for the “icon” of its range, the staple three-door hatchback, but more radical designs are on the cards for the rest of the line-up, with clues provided by the recent Urbanaut concept.

The new Mini hatchback range will be split into two distinct models: a petrol variant built in Oxford and based on a heavily updated version of the existing car’s architecture; and a new electric version that will be slightly shorter and built in China only on a dedicated EV platform as part of a joint venture with Great Wall Motors. Both are due in 2023.

This Chinese joint venture will also spawn a new electric crossover, while the next-generation Countryman will be built in Germany and offered with petrol and electric power.


Render 1.jpegRender 2.jpegRender 3.jpeg
 
DRIVEN: Mini Cooper Hatch Five-Door

New to the updated range is a reworked chassis with adaptive dampers that do a good job of smoothing out the nasty surfaces of Gauteng roads. We dialled through the trio of driving modes, namely Green, Normal and Sport and each offer a tangible difference in output from behind the wheel. The eco-friendly mode labeled Green prods the dual-clutch to change gears earlier in the rev range and offers an icon in the instrument cluster to show how many kilometres the driver has ‘added’ to the fuel range. Moving the drive mode selector to the sportiest setting evokes a lovely thrum from the three-cylinder engine and the car offers quicker responses via the steering wheel. What’s surprising, in a good way, is that one could easily drive in sport mode permanently and still eke out a considerable amount of range from the frugal 44-litre fuel tank.

For the first time, adaptive cruise control and a Lane Departure Warning system are offered as we see another example of BMW’s features filtering their way into the Mini portfolio.

The changes inside and out offer potential buyers more options to personalise models from Mini. The tide is changing and with the Mini offering the country’s cheapest EV at R658 000 it’s also the beginning of the end for internal combustion-powered cars from the brand. One wonders what Mr Issigonis would think about that.

Fast facts

Model:
Mini Cooper Hatch Five-Door
Price: R479 500
Engine: 1,5-litre, three-cylinder, turbopetrol
Power: 100 kW @ 6 000 r/min
Torque: 220 N.m @ 4 250 r/min
0-100 km/h: 8,3 seconds
Top Speed: 207 km/h
Fuel Consumption: 5,7 L/100 km
CO2: 131 g/km
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Maintenance Plan: Three-years/75 000 km

 
Mini and GWM partnership will spawn radical new models in coming years

As the partnership between GWM and Mini solidifies, the Bavarian-owned British marque confirms that a line-up of radical products with varying body styles. Design boss Oliver Heilmer confirms that the upcoming products have officially been signed off and we can expect to see them soon.

Speaking to Autocar at this year’s IAA, Heilmer says that Mini will undergo an evolution of style but the icon of its range remaining a three-door hatchback. It’s understood that concepts such as the Urbanaut could give us a hint as to what we can expect.

The upcoming Mini range will be split into two divisions. The petrol-powered models will continue to be produced in Oxford and make use of the current platform with conclusive revisions. A new electric model will accompany this but will make use of a dedicated EV platform partly developed by GWM. We can expect both models to debut by 2023.

Heilmer assures that the halo of the brand will be a more revolutionary product that will not stray too far from the iconic presence of the original Mini.

“Yes, you go even more radical. Just look at the Urbanaut. The closer you get to the original icon, the less revolutionary you become. The Urbanaut is the furthest away from the original hatch, but we can extend the brand more the further away we go from the original car.”

Via GWM, a new electric crossover is also on the cards for Mini but will not replace the German-built Countryman. The former will retain its petrol options and introduce a range of electrified alternatives.

Other Mini products rumoured to be on the cards is a small electric MPV which will bear the Traveller moniker. A production version of the aforementioned Urbanaut concept is also under consideration.

 
Mini Shadow Edition unveiled as exclusive trim hatchback range

If there’s one thing that we have come to learn about the BMW Group, it’s that it loves a Shadow Edition. A darker alloy here and some blacked out chrome there and voila, you have an enticing model, designed to pique the interest of buyer’s just as a model starts to approach the end of its production run.

And so, as the current F56 generation Mini approaches the end of its life, the British arm introduced the UK exclusive Shadow Edition, available for the Mini Hatch, Convertible and Electric models.

Already available on Clubman and Countryman models, the Shadow Edition features a higher standard specification and, as the name might suggest, a focus on blacked out features and an edition-exclusive bonnet design and graphics.

With its Midnight Black metallic exterior paint colour and with contrasting Silver roof and mirror caps, as well as Piano Black Exterior, the Shadow Edition creates a “dramatic and streamlined look.”


Mini 1.jpegMini 2.jpegMini 3.jpegMini 4.jpeg
 

Ora Cat 2022 preview – The Chinese EV that's got the MINI Electric in its sights | batchreviews​

The Ora Cat – it's a new electric car that'll be launching in the UK very soon, and has other small EVs like the MINI Electric in its sights.

Ora is the electric car brand from Great Wall Motors. You might have heard of them before as they offered a pick-up in the UK around 10 years ago.

This, the Cat, is a very different proposition with a quality interior and big battery tech.

 

Ora Cat review: Britain's cheapest new EV - The Late Brake Show​

Welcome to The Late Brake Show Ora Cat review. This new £22k EV could be Britain's (Europe's?) cheapest electric car. This is the new affordable EV that you've probably never heard of, unless you live in China.

New Chinese brand Ora exclusively make ground-up EVs and they are part of the huge GWM (Great Wall Motors) group. Jonny's walk-around was as detailed as we could make without driving the Cat.

In China cats are signs of good luck. Which is weird, given how rare and spellbinding Pangolins are.

Anyway, it will be fascinating to see how an unknown brand new car company tries to break into the British and European EV market.

This is the Ora Cat, known as the Good Cat in its native country.

 
Here’s your first look at the next-gen Mini hatch

And we’ve had confirmation that there’ll be fully electric and combustion engines available

Mini has dumped a whole heap of news on us, with first images of the next-generation hatch and confirmation of both the next-gen Countryman and an all-new small electric crossover.

Let’s start with the hatch. The camo above is rather successful, because from where we’re sitting we can’t see too much to differentiate this from the current Mini Electric. The big news is that there’ll be both electric and internal combustion powertrains once again when the 3-Door launches (production should start in 2023). Mini has already confirmed that 2025 is its cut-off date for launching its last internal combustion model. There’s no word on a 5-Door as of yet, but 3-Door Minis are infinitely cooler anyway.

There will be a convertible launching in 2025, although the powertrain for that hasn’t been confirmed.

News on that crossover too – it’ll be new, small and electric only. That’s about all we know so far. Oh, and it’ll be built in China in collaboration with Great Wall Motors along with other battery-powered Minis.

To make room for that crossover, the Countryman will grow into the segment above its current state. There’ll be ICE and electric versions of that too, with production starting in 2023 at the BMW Group Plant Leipzig.


Mini 1.jpegMini 2.jpegMini 3.jpegMini 4.jpegMini 5.jpeg
 
New Mini hatch officially shown ahead of 2023 launch

UK-built Fiat 500 rival is set to arrive with ICE and EV powertrains

This is our first look at the next-generation Mini three-door hatchback, which is due to be launched in 2023. It will spearhead a wide-ranging reform of the Mini line-up, under which the brand will enter new segments, overhaul its production processes and go completely electric by the early 2030s.

The hatchback will continue to be built at Oxford (which will also host production of the Convertible variant, currently built by VDL Nedcar in the Netherlands, from 2025), with Mini committing to the future of its British factory as “the home of the Mini brand”.

Despite the car’s heavy camouflage, it’s plain to see that Mini’s flagship model will retain the squat, compact proportions that have been core to its appeal since it was relaunched by BMW in 2000.

The new three-door hatch is also likely to be joined by a five-door variant, although this hasn’t yet been confirmed. Mini’s 2023 three-door will pioneer an all-new interior design, which uses new technology to expand its personalisation options.

Details are unconfirmed, but Mini has said the instrument panel “will have surfaces acting as “canvases that can be tailored by the customer to suit their requirements”, essentially allowing the cabin to be redesigned at will.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/new-mini-hatch-officially-shown-ahead-2023-launch
 
New Mini Hatch Teased

Teaser images of the next Mini Hatch have been released, giving us some indication of what to expect when it arrives in 2023.

The Mini Hatch recently received a welcome round of updates but there’s a new generation Mini Hatch in the works and the teaser images you see here hint at what it will look like.

As we already know, the Mini brand is expected to be all-electric by the end of the decade and earlier this year it was announced that the last combustion-engined Mini will be released in 2025.

As for the new Mini Hatch, both Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) variants will be offered. The new Mini Hatch, as well as a new Countryman, are expected to come to market in 2023.

As seen in the images, the overall shape and design of the new Mini Hatch isn’t expected to be a radical departure from the current iteration but will be more of an evolutionary design exercise. Note that all-important circular headlights and bonnet scoop have been retained as these are crucial design cues. Other features to note include the new taillight clusters and the roof-mounted spoiler for a sportier

The Mini Hatch will be underpinned by a modified version of the FAAR platform which will also underpin the Countryman and other BMW Group models such as the BMW 1-Series, 2 Series Active Tourer, BMW X1 and X2.

 
Mini Traveller rendered as future Volkswagen Caravelle competitor

For a while now, we have been hearing rumours of the iconic British brand diving into the MPV segment with a possible Mini Traveller. Over the past 10 years, the Mini brand has enjoyed strong sales globally as their product range expanded, retracted and now continues to expand again, albeit in a slightly different direction to their first expansion – remember the Mini Coupé, Mini Roadster and Mini Paceman?

As with many manufacturers these days, Mini plans to switch to a fully electric line up by 2030, with electric vehicles projected to make up half of their sales figures by 2027. Various sources suggest that come 2024, the Mini Clubman will be replaced by the Mini Traveller, the British brand’s take on a Minivan. Mini products as a whole tend to do really well in South Africa, but it will be interesting to see how something like the Traveller will do with competitors like the venerable Volkswagen Caravelle. Of course, it’ll have the usual Mini take on the van theme, likely more like Hyundai’s H1 replacement, the Staria.

While we have no official images or even confirmation from the manufacturer, we can hazard a guess that the Mini Traveller will look something like the Mini Urbanaut concept which we saw last year.

Motor.es have put together a render on what they think the upcoming Mini Traveller might look like, taking styling cues from recent spy shots and other models in the current Mini line up.


Snip.png
 
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X