Third-gen Mini launched in India at Rs. 31.85 lakh

The third-generation Mini has been launched in India at prices starting from Rs. 31.85 lakh (ex-showroom, all India). While the car is available in India in both 3 and 5-door versions, it is only sold in Cooper D guise. 

The new Mini uses BMW 's UKL platform. It is larger than the outgoing model. The 3-door version is 3821 mm long, 1727 mm wide and 1414 mm tall. This makes it 98 mm longer, 44 mm wider and 7 mm taller than the second-generation car. The wheelbase of the car has been lengthened by 28mm. The 5-door version measures 4005 mm in length, 1727 mm in width and 1,425 mm in height. It has a wheelbase of 2567 mm. The luggage capacity of the Mini 3-door with the rear seats in place is 211 litres, while that of the 5-door is 278 litres. While the Mini retains its iconic styling, it does get some changes to its exterior. The car features a new grille, LED headlights with LED daytime running lights, LED tail lamps and a new range of body colours.

The interior of the new Mini is more spacious than its predecessor. There is a new instrument cluster located behind the steering wheel.  The centre of the dashboard now houses the car's entertainment and navigation systems and other infotainment features.

The Mini Cooper D is powered by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder diesel engine that develops 114 bhp @ 4000 rpm and 270 Nm of torque @ 1750 rpm. Transmission duties are taken care of by a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

There is no petrol engine available at the moment. However, the Cooper S variant with a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine pumping out 189 bhp and 280 Nm of torque is expected in 2015.

The Mini Cooper D is brought to India as a CBU and therefore attracts maximum import duty.

Prices (ex-showroom, all India):

• Cooper D 3-door: Rs. 31.85 lakh
• Cooper D 5-door: Rs. 35.20 lakh