[noopster]

I'm not sure why exactly this counts as a super luxury car in India. At these prices I can get a fully loaded 320d or Merc GLA. Looks nice and cutesy and all but thoroughly impractical and the pricing is getting away from them at every new launch.

An elderly person I know saw the VW logo on my Vento and brightened up- turned out she drive a Beetle in the US in her college days. I told her the bug was available in India, which she was surprised to hear because she hadn't seen any on the road. Told her it cost upwards of 30L to own one and she was shocked, saying that when she owned hers it was one of the cheaper options in the market.

Same thing with Mini. They have built this larger-than-life image thanks to the Italian Job and other stuff and are desperately trying to milk it for all its worth. Well, tough- Indians are a little smarter than that!

[vb-saan]

First the 1-series, and now the Mini! Looks like the BMW think-tank have no interest to even give a fair fight at the luxury hatchback segment. This should have been the price-point for the Cooper S/SD, and not for something which is marginally powerful than a Polo TDI.

In comparison, now the A-Class look superbly VFM.

[Tushar]

Originally Posted by Shanksta

I'm sorry but this car just doesn't look Mini anymore. It looks like it was designed by a kid playing with the enlarge option in the photo editor.

hahaha. Believe you me, there was one 2015 3-Door next to that classic MINI. If you were to hollow out the new one, the classic could fit in like a fetus in a womb. All current MINI's wear that badge ironically.

[.anshuman]

A friend is looking to buy new Cooper S. The new S is not launched yet so we checked out the Diesel variant just for the looks and feel. Here are my impressions from a TD of the Diesel variant( All comparisons on Ride/Handling/Feel are to last gen cooper S, not comparing performance directly though).

• The car has grown up considerably, parked next to the old gen car, the new one feels just too swollen up and not just right for a Mini Cooper. I did not like the 5 door Cooper.
  
• The new car is much more roomy and comfortable on the insides, though the rear seats are still good enough only for kids/small sized adults. The interiors quality and comfort has improves few notches. The meters now get a more conventional ahead of steering placement, i like then this way.
  
• With this kind of pricing, this 3 cylinder puny Diesel is a downer. Though on sheer power to weight ratio and acceleration it fares good, but i hate the cooper with such a shaky, thrummy 3 cylinder Diesel. Good part is the engine is revv happy and performs good near the top end, at lower revs it's as much punchy as a Rapid/Vento DSG. The resposiveness(time taken by the engine to respond throttle input, not the low end poke) is superb, responds like a naturally aspirated petrol, even though it does not have the punch to keep you pinned to the seat.
  
• Steering is now EPS and has lost the direct go kart feel, but still it is one of the nicest steering in the market because it is incredibly direct and quick, but over servo'ed.
  
• Compared to the old Cooper S the Diesel has much more cozy ride, but the go kart feel has been toned down, grip levels remain as good as before. Good part is it will be much more livable for daily use and just does not crash into the bumps like the old car.
  
• Most of the stuff in the car comes as a paid accessory, White and Orange are the only free of cost colors, you will have to pay for all other colors. The accessories pricing is expensive and everything you may like is a paid accessory. Standard car comes with fabric seats, no handrest, no camera, no parking sensors, no mode select, no HUD....the list is endless.

Buy this car if you absolutely absolutely love the Mini brand or look elsewhere- i'd pick a BMW 328i over it any given day or even the 118d works better for me!

[jvm_1986]

Maybe this is a good time for prospective buyers to get a good discount on the outgoing Cooper S which is more "Mini" than the new one.

[Tushar]

Mini is now expected to launch the Cooper S petrol variant on the 3-door by the end of March, 2015.

The performance petrol variant of the Mini 3-door is powered by a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine that makes around 192 BHP @ 4,700 - 6,000 rpm and 280 Nm of torque @ 1250 rpm. 0-100 km/h comes up in a claimed 6.7 seconds and the car hits a top speed of 233 km/h. Transmission options include a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic, though the Indian model may only feature the latter.

Like the 3-door diesel, the Cooper S will also be brought in as a direct import.

Link to Team-BHP news article

[dark.knight]

Sadly one of the lesser talked about brands in TBhp - the Mini, with no popular ownership reviews as yet. That's surprising because I see quite a few around (Countrymans seem more popular than the Cooper due to pricing).

Yes the company has really done itself no favour with the pricing since it was first introduced & it has only gone up now. The Cooper 5 door though is as practical as a Mini can hope to get but I guess the prices can go all the way to 45 lakhs depending on customisation. The petrol version might help with the sales a bit as it has to be a little cheaper?

As a drivers car though nothing beats Mini, it can run rings around any so called affordable hot hatch. The difference is so huge the extra price will be justified. BMW's build quality & steering is to be experienced. While the Mini is very close in pricing to 3 Series & more expensive than its engine twin the 1 Series, I still think the brand has a halo of fun toy-roadster for the elite few. I would love to take a test of the new 5 door Cooper one day & experience its handling ability.

[pgsagar]

Yes, the pricing is high because of CKD kits. But even if it were mass produced in India, they can't price it below 20 L. So, even then it is doomed. 20L for a hatch? Hell, people won't pay upwards of even 10L for a hatch. So, cars like these will always remain a niche products. A rich man's WAG's car.

[rajushank84]

So I just saw an ad for the new Mini Hardtop 4 door. This is great news!! The lack of doors in the back was what was preventing my family from agreeing to get this.

This will almost certainly be my next car - sometime in 2017.

http://www.miniusa.com/content/miniu...op-4-door.html


While the 2-door is still the better looker, this one doesn't look bad - not ugly like the Clubman or Countryman.

Who else is excited about this?

(couldn't find an existing thread about this

[alpha1]

What's the craze for Coopers all about?
I see quite a few Swifts with modified front ends like these.
In fact honestly, the proportions are quite similar to a Swift ... don't you think?

[GTO]

Originally Posted by alpha1

What's the craze for Coopers all about?
I see quite a few Swifts with modified front ends like these.
In fact honestly, the proportions are quite similar to a Swift ... don't you think?

A Thar is a Jeep, and so is the Jeep Wrangler. Drive them back to back and you'll know why they are a world apart .

We're crazy about Coopers for the driving experience, handling & quality. But yes, you are absolutely correct. When I drove the Cooper S around Mumbai, whoever asked about the car thought that it's a modified Swift

The Mini is overpriced in India. In the USA however, it starts at merely $21,000 (~12 lakhs).

[rajushank84]

Yup I'm excited about the S version starting at 25k. I have to keep the bimmer for at least 2 more years but I think I know what I'm getting after that

Wife loves the mini too so it's win-win 👍

[Tushar]

The Mini Cooper S has been launched at an all India ex-showroom price of Rs 34.65 Lakh. The new Mini Cooper S will be sold as a direct import and is available at Mini dealerships across India (Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore).

The Cooper S is powered by a Mini TwinPower turbo, 4-cylinder, petrol engine that makes 189 BHP and 280 Nm of torque, mated with a 6-speed automatic transmission.The car does the 0-100 km/h run in a claimed 6.7 seconds with the top speed rated at 233 km/h.

Link to Team-BHP news article

[RavSam]

As much as I like the overall design of this car, I just HATE that design of the front and rear bumper.
Looks like some kind of USB slot for a car to send some kind of data across.

The performance figures are smashing, although I wish that if they had manufactured it here or at least assembled it, the prices would have been reasonable.

And with the launch if this car I can't help but wonder as to how long Fiat has taken to launch their 500 Abarth here. But badge value wise Mini>Fiat. No doubt about that.


Also, but now I can see where Hyundai designers got inspired for their fog-lamps design for their i20 Active (i20 Cross)

[rajushank84]

Saw the 4-door Mini in the flesh today! I loved it. It wasn't ugly as I had feared it would be. Of course I still love the 2-door design more.

Also, sad to learn that this car got an EPS too.