Cooper cool

EVER since BMW introduced the first Mini Cooper more than 12 years ago, each successive generation has grown bigger. So while the size of the third version is not a surprise, its new engine is. The previous Mini Cooper had a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine that produced 120 hp and 155 Nm. But the new Cooper has a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged engine with 136 hp and 220 Nm, or an impressive 42 per cent hike in torque (the more powerful Cooper S gets a four-cylinder 2.0 turbo). Not only does it increase to 230 Nm in overboost, but maximum torque is now available from just 1,250 rpm compared with 4,250 rpm for the old four-pot.

The new three-cylinder unit comes from BMW's Efficient Dynamics engine family, which uses a half-litre cylinder as the building block for the group's modular range of turbocharged three-cylinder, four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines. As a result of the newfound performance, the Mini Cooper is a lot livelier, especially in the mid-range, where the second-generation car used to run out of breath. The engine is still mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox to drive the front wheels.

There are no steering wheel-mounted shift paddles for manual changes, only the new gear lever which is perfectly positioned with the more intuitive forward-nudge-to-change-down logic.