In the past if you needed seating for five there was only MINI Clubman (estate) and the Countryman SUV to choose from. MINI now wants to fill the gap between its two biggest selling models the 3-door hatch and Countryman by reaching out to a bigger audience with its 7th model - the MINI 5-door hatchback. The new car launches in late October and we have put it through its paces.
Built using an all-new architecture, the 5-door has a longer wheelbase. The 3,982mm long car is 273mm shorter than a Golf (4,255mm) and is 160mm longer than the MINI 3-door (APMP’s ‘Small Car of the Year 2015’). 5-door's new platform is shared with BMW's 2 Series Active Tourer with only a few subtle differences. 5-door is available with all of the gadgetry and trim options found on the 3-door e.g. head up display and 'MINI Connected' etc. but there will also be a 'Sport' pack that gives the car a bit more street presence. Standard equipment is good and parents will be pleased to know there are three ISOFIX childseat anchor sets (two in the rear and one on the passenger seat).
Styling-wise the front and rear are very familiar but the new side profile takes a bit of getting used to. The rear doors are very short - at best they look functional and dinky, at worst the symmetry seems a little off. Inside the cabin is pure MINI - with lovely toggle switches and good points of contact. But with 5-door - it's really all about the rear. The seat bench has three safety belts but is suitable for just two adults. If you have to sit three in the back - the centre seat could be used by small kids who don't use a booster seat. I'm not small, or as flexible as I used to be, but with a small bit of effort popping in and out of the rear doors was achieved without fuss.
Rear headroom is good too, although when you pull up the three head restraints you virtually eliminate any rear vision though the driver's mirror. The boot, with 67-litres more space than the 3-door (211-litres), is generous by MINI standards and a split-level floor is available too.
We have driven the car in Ireland and earlier in the UK. The entry-level machines badged ‘ONE’ are economical yet still great fun to drive. Next step up in the range are the Coopers. The Cooper D (116hp) has lots of torque and delivers strong low down acceleration, yet it can also be driven very economically, making it ideal for the commute. The 136hp Cooper petrol is a little quieter and slightly quicker. To have more fun than in the sub-100g/CO2 Cooper D, you need to get the revs up. On open country roads outside Oxford the Cooper was a blast. The car is fun to throw into corners as the steering is precise and the standard six-speed manual gearbox helps smoothly deliver power to the front wheels.
A new automatic with stop/start is available too. For me the Cooper D delivers the more complete drive but if you want even more power the Cooper S has 192hp and the SD, 170hp. If you don't do high mileage petrol power makes a lot of sense. The good news is that there is only a modest price-walk from the 3-door to the 5-door - circa €715. The dynamic MINI experience is definitely present in the new car but the real bonus is the better ride quality courtesy of the longer wheelbase. MINI has done pretty well to date in a sector dominated by 5-door cars with its 3-door but now the BMW owned brand can appeal to a much larger audience.
MINI 5-door hatch is a more family friendly MINI that is still fun to drive and a machine that makes you smile.
Michael Sheridan
