Review
MINI 3-DOOR
Anyone who attended the last Brussels Motor Show will probably remember the MINI stand. The new MINI 3-door was presented there in a world premiere. The novelties mainly consist of new headlights and taillights with a “Union Jack design”. There are also additional options to personalize the MINI according to your personal taste. In addition to new transmissions, new digital services are also available. We discovered the new MINI 3-Door through a test drive with the MINI Cooper.
MINI Cooper 3-door
The MINI Cooper has a 1.5 petrol engine with a power of 136 hp. This spicy MINI is available with a manual gearbox from 21,600 euros. You can also opt for an automatic or sports machine. Our test car was equipped with the optional 7-speed Steptronic dual-clutch transmission. This transmission does its job well and shifts up and down smoothly. The MINI is always in the right gear, regardless of whether you are doing sporty “karting” or quietly exploring the city. The 1.5 also offers pleasant power with sufficient torque. This allows you to accelerate smoothly and drive quickly, but without being really sporty. If you want more power, you can always choose a Cooper S.
Champion in personalization
I probably don’t need to tell you that there are many options to personalize a MINI. The MINI Yours Customized program even takes personalization to a completely new level. This way you can provide certain accessories with your own design. Ideal for creatives who want to do something special with their car. The MINI Yours Customized range includes side indicator surrounds, decorative interior panels on the passenger side, door sill strips with LED lighting and LED projectors in the door. For a personalized design you can choose from different colors, patterns, images, etc. You can also add certain elements or text yourself. This way you can make your MINI completely unique.
Illuminated strip on the dashboard
Another nice element is that the optional MINI Yours Interior Style Piano Black is now also available with lighting. The strip on the dashboard on the passenger side is illuminated, as are the surfaces in the doors and the center console. The strip is not only made in Piano Black, but also features the Union Jack motif. The color of the lighting matches the ambient lighting selected by the driver as part of the MINI Excitement Package. Your passengers will undoubtedly be impressed by this.
Taillights in Union Jack design
We also find that Union Jack motif in the rear light units. These have a new design in combination with the LED headlights. This Union Jack design refers to MINI’s roots. The functions of the light unit are arranged in the shape of the British flag: the direction indicator is placed horizontally, the brake light vertically and the tail light is formed by the diagonal lines in the flag. All elements of the rear light units are LEDs.
New headlights
We also find new headlights at the front. You get halogen headlights with a black accent as standard. However, you can also optionally opt for LED headlights. The advantage of these headlights is that they provide a nice, bright light. You can also optionally opt for adaptive LED headlights. These automatically adjust their brightness to the situation. If visibility is very poor, you can switch on dimmed cornering lights for a better view of the roadside.
Connectivity
The new MINI also offers many options for integration with a smartphone or smartwatch using the MINI Connected App. The app then has access to your calendar and contacts and can plan routes and indicate the optimal departure time. With Remote Services you can not only see the location of your MINI, but also other useful things such as the fuel level. You can also remotely control the door lock, lighting, horn and ventilation.
Conclusion
The facelift of the new MINI is not a revolution, but an evolution with more personalization options, new lighting and an extensive range of digital services. The new transmission does its job well and just like its predecessors, it is never boring to drive a MINI.
Johan De Haes
Test driver
