Ahead of the official debut at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month, MINI has released pictures and information of the third generation Cooper Convertible.
If you thought the hardtop variants of the MINI weren’t attractive enough, you are in luck. The company unveiled the third generation models around two years ago and has finally unveiled the convertible models of the same. Yes, the MINI Cooper has grown in size and this has ruffled a few feathers of the aficionados as they believe that this has taken away the old school charm away. However, most of the customers prefer the bigger dimensions as it leads to more space inside the cabin.
Coming to the changes that the MINI Cooper Convertible gets over its predecessor, it gets quite a few. To make it easier to read, here’s a list of the changes.
Exteriors
* Larger single frame grille
* Altered headlamps
* Heavily raked windscreen
* Wider boot and larger tail lamps
* New automatic cloth hood (opens in 18 seconds)
Interiors
* Longitudinal adjustment for front seats
* Increased rear seat width and additional leg room
* 215-litres boot space with through-loading facility
* Infotainment system with Bluetooth and USB
* Rear parking sensors with camera
Safety
* Sensor operated roll bar behind rear seats
* High-strength UKL steel platform
* Reinforced structural elements adding 115 kgs of weight
Having spoken about the exteriors, interiors and the safety aspect, let us take a look at the engine options. The MINI Cooper Convertible will come with an option of multiple engines depending on the market and the model. It will come with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed automatic gearbox. Here are the engine options which will be available.
Petrol
* 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine – 102 BHP
* 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine – 134 BHP
* 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine – 189 BHP (Cooper S)
Diesel
* 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine – 114 BHP
* 2.0-litre four cylinder engine – 168 BHP (Cooper SD)
Out of the above options, three will be available when the MINI Cooper Convertible is available for sale in the UK from March 2016. The other two, the 1.2-litre petrol and 2.0-litre diesel will be added to the lineup at a later stage. Prices of the new model have increased marginally over the older one with the Cooper S being the range topping variant. We expect this convertible hatch to hit the Indian market soon after its launch in its home country. But considering it will be imported as a CBU, prices will be high making it the choice of only a select few.
