High on the highway: The Mini Cooper and the Mini Countryman will offer exciting customisation options

The Mini might be late in being launched in India, but the concept it pioneered has been here since the Maruti 800. Most small cars in India today are FWD vehicles with transversely mounted, water-cooled engines. Popularised by the first Mini designed by Sir Alec Issigonis, this concept was first seen in 1959. The unique configuration ensured that the car came with a micro-exterior with a surprisingly large amount of space inside. As soon as it was launched, it was dubbed the workman’s car for its affordability, and it quickly achieved cult status.

Now that BMW is bringing the brand to India, I managed a quick drive in a couple of Minis around Oxford in cold cold UK, where the assembly plant is located.

The model coming to India is the Mini Cooper, which will be available in two body styles — hatchback and convertible. With a choice of 1598cc petrol and diesel motors, both can seat four adults (as long as the adults in the rear seat are not too tall). In fact, I believe that the best use for the back seat is as a place to keep your shopping.

Slam the doors shut and they close with a solid thump. The cabin is dominated by a centrally mounted speedometer that harks back to the original Mini, but the controls can be frustrating to operate and seem to value form over function. Though this car celebrates British micro-car heritage, it is precise German engineering and construction underneath.

The 121bhp petrol motor provides enough kick for most folks and the 110bhp diesel has decent pace too, with a strong mid-range. But it isn’t the muscle under its hood that’s the Mini’s selling point. It’s the car’s agility. The steering is accurate and nicely weighted. The shift is precise and light. Body control is excellent, it changes direction keenly and even the pedals bleed precision. Point it toward a serpentine road and you will be amply rewarded. It’s like a go-kart for adults. The downside is a rather firm ride, but that’s the price you pay for the Mini’s thrilling handling.

Now if you want even more style, get the convertible with a retractable roof. It’s not a hardtop but a rather conventional cloth unit, and it’s a clever little arrangement. Press the switch and the roof slides back 45cm to bestow a large sunroof-like opening. Press the switch again and the ‘Z-roof’ unlatches and scissors up and back to fold neatly behind the rear seats in 15 seconds. The downside is that rear visibility with the top down is very poor since it stacks up rather high. And with the top up, it’s even worse.

The other Mini that’s going to be hitting the country’s roads is the Countryman. At over four meters in length, it’s more than a foot longer than the regular Mini. It’s 10cm wider and some 15cm taller than the regular hatch. The Countryman is also the first Mini to get two doors on each side of its body.

What the Countryman does (that the Cooper doesn’t) is provide a decent amount of passenger space. There’s plenty of head and elbow room for four adults, and the sliding, 60/40 split rear bench is comfortable even for taller passengers. Though the extra size and weight penalises performance aplenty, (it is powered by the same engines) and it’s not as brisk as the Cooper, the Countryman will cruise happily in the fast lane all day.

Despite being bit slower and less nimble, many of the Countryman’s traits are unchanged from its smaller sibling. This includes the hefty steering, the mechanical clack of every gear change and the stiff-legged ride. You are sacrificing a bit of driving pleasure but you get to share the fun with two more adults instead of kids.

The Mini offers staggering levels of customisation, and you can specify just about everything. In fact the company says that no two Minis that come off the assembly line are the same. Though it is unlikely that we in India will be able to choose from the complete basket of options, you can still expect a generous list of customisation options.

Now comes the most important part — the price. The Mini is going to be an import, so expect the price to be high. The base Mini Cooper retails at about Rs 12 lakh in the UK. Add our customs duty and you know what to expect. There are plans to assemble them here at a later date, but till that happens, be prepared for sticker shock.

The premium hatchback territory is one that Fiat with its 500 and Volkswagen with the Beetle have tread into before. They didn’t exactly set sales charts on fire. Will the Mini be able to buck the trend and carve out a niche as a premium hot hatch?

One certainly hopes so. For, what the Mini offers, the Fiat 500 and the Beetle never managed to — driver involvement. The car is as much fun as bubblewrap, is very engaging to drive, and it will put a childlike smile on your face. And sometimes, you just can’t put a price on that smile.

spec check

MINI COUNTRYMAN (P/D)

• Engine: 4-cyls in-line, 1598cc, petrol/ 4-cyls in-line, 1598cc, diesel; front transverse, FWD
• Power: 121bhp at 6000rpm/ 110bhp at 1750-2250rpm
• Torque: 16.31kgm at 4250rpm/ 27.53kgm at 1750-2250rpm

spec check

MINI COOPER (P/D)

• Engine: 4-cyls in-line, 1598cc, petrol/ 4-cyls in-line, 1598cc, diesel; front transverse, FWD
• Power: 121bhp at 6000rpm/ 110bhp at 4000rpm
• Torque: 16.31kgm at 4250rpm/ 27.53kgm at 1750-2250rpm

Photographs courtesy: BMW

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My dream car

I fell in love with BMW’s cars when I was a kid, living in Croatia. Many of my family members worked in the BMW and Mercedes factories in Germany and would come to our place in their gleaming cars. While Mercs are elegant, I find BMWs sexy.

– Dijana Dejanovic, model