Earlier today the opportunity for a quick taste of MINI’s new Cooper D came my way. Naturally, I jumped at the chance to see just how Australia’s most economical car drives. That’s not a typo, with a miserly fuel consumption figure of 3.9l/100km and CO2 emissions at a super low 104g/km, the 1.6-litre diesel powered MINI presents itself as the hot hatch with a conscience.
If those stats don’t mean anything to you, they undercut the Hollywood-hyped Toyota Prius and highlight that the folks at GreenVehicleGuide.gov.au have some work to do at the top of their chart (see the comments section below).
First, let me say straight off the bat, the Cooper D is not a genuine hot hatch. If you are looking for all out thrills in a small package where the emphasis is not on compromise, then best look further up the MINI food chain to the Cooper S or JCW models, or even over the road to your closest Renault, Mazda or Volkswagen dealer.
If, though, you are prepared to compromise on your driving wishlist then the Cooper D is your car. MINIs are criticised for being compromised in terms of packaging, and whether that is a negative aspect or not really comes down to the individual. The compromise on economy the “Dooper” offers, however, is all good.
In short, you can thrash the living daylights out of this car and not hurt your wallet. Assuming that you do have sympathy for mechanical components from time to time then the Cooper D will continue to reward. The famous razor-sharp MINI steering is still there. The deadly accurate turn-in is still there. The nimble point to point chuckability is still there. And, more importantly than any of those things, the all out fun factor is still there.
As I said, this is not a true hot hatch. A car with a sweet spot that exists between around 2500-4000rpm can never provide the thrills of a first gen Cooper S, for example, which is happy and able to hover around redline all day long. So, in the diesel you need to take the time to find that turbocharged sweet spot and alter your driving to suit.
With that short sweet spot in the rev range you’ll be changing cogs quite a bit, so the slick and accurate gear change of the 6-speed manual is welcome. I can’t see the optional 6-speed auto being quite as inspiring, though.
The start-stop function is a little odd at first, and cruder than I imagined. But it doesn’t take long to get used to the system and it simply adds to the character of the car. Likewise the diesel clatter from the engine bay that rears its ugly head at times. This offers character, too, in a not so good form, however. But, again, I can imagine one would get used to it and even enjoy the reminder of compromise that it brings.
There’s not much compromise on performance when zipping in and out of traffic inside city limits, either. Sure, it’s no rocket ship, but, thanks to a peak torque figure of 260Nm on overboost the car gathers pace easily enough, if that’s your go. If it’s not, you can simply sit back and enjoy the ride letting the regular 240Nm of torque do its thing on your behalf. I didn’t sample it for myself, but I am reliably informed that the Cooper D can handle freeway driving with a minimum of fuss as well.
In closing, when appraising the MINI Cooper D one needs to take the usual goalposts and give them a different slant. You can approach the car a couple of ways—is it a conventional car with a twist, or a car that does away with convention? It does a little bit of both, and in doing so offers a new alternative to opposing market segments.
For the Prius loving greenies, the MINI Cooper D takes their odd looking and compromised driving experience and gives it a massive slap. BANG! Saving the planet needn’t be such an outward exercise in showing that you are prepared to give up on driving enjoyment to save a few whales.
For the pure hot hatch Paddy Hopkirk wannabes the MINI Cooper D takes their spine tingling, and often spine jarring, driving experience and gives it a gentle massage. OH YES, THAT’S THE SPOT! Pure driving enjoyment needn’t be such an outward exercise in brashness and wallet burning fuel bills.
So, the MINI Cooper D gets the AUSmotive tick for car buyers willing to alter their purchasing parameters. And now that you have read all that, this car can be summed up in a few short words—it’s a Super Dooper!
Pics and launch day press release are available after the jump. More information on the Cooper D can be read here and here.
