Gentlemen, here’s the all-new third-generation (new) Mini Cooper hatchback; say what you will about the styling of Mini Coopers, they still are one of the most fun front wheel drive cars available in North America, I know this because I used to own one.
The Mini Cooper hasn’t changed much since it was re-introduced in 2001, the 2001-2006 cars were a bit smaller and looked better in my opinion than the next generation and 2015 models, which have become a bit bigger and look bloated.
The 2015 Mini Cooper looks very similar to the car it replaces; it has the same overall look but does look a bit bigger. It features a boxier front end and a more pronounced grill and xenon headlights, which look to be surrounded by a round strip of LED daytime running lights. The interior sees a bit more change than the exterior, with a new center stack area, which now only features an LCD screen and buttons for the entertainment system. Yes, the center-mounted speedometer is gone, yay!!! The placement of the speedometer was one of the most annoying things about my Cooper S, I know purists will hate this change but I think a speedometer belongs behind a steering wheel. The center stack mounted automatic window buttons have also been removed and placed on the doors.
The 2015 Mini Cooper will be available in the US in March 2014 and will come in the standard Cooper and Cooper S models. The Cooper is powered by a turbocharged 1.5 liter 3-cylinder engine producing 134 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, while the 2015 Cooper S is powered by a turbocharged 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine producing 189 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque.
Mini hasn’t announced North American prices yet, they did however provide European prices, where the Cooper will start at €17,900 and the Cooper S will start at €23,800. Via: Mini
2015 Mini Cooper Hatchback Photo Gallery
I love my original Austin Mini Cooper S – that was a real Mini – best drive across Canada was in that little car. I don’t like what BMW is doing to the brand though
You still have that? I had the 2005 Cooper S, which is a sleeker than the 2007+ models, super fun. I want one of the original ones but nice clean ones are pretty expensive.