MINI has revealed extensive details of its new two-door Convertible model, which goes on sale in Britain from March 2016.
Three versions of the Convertible will be available from launch: Cooper, Cooper D and Cooper S. Pricing will start at £18,475 for the Cooper, increasing to £20,225 for the Cooper D and £22,430 for the Cooper S.
Although that starting price is thousands of pounds more compared to rivals like the DS 3 Cabrio and Fiat 500C, a cheaper, entry-level new Convertible could join the range later on in 2016.
The new MINI Convertible is all-round bigger than its predecessor. Specifically, it’s now 98mm longer, 44m wider and the wheelbase is 28mm longer. The latter change means increased legroom for passengers both front and rear and there’s 36mm more knee room for the two rear passengers.
The new fully electric fabric roof, which can retract fully in 18 seconds, is quieter and more refined than that used for the previous Convertible, according to MINI.
Boot capacity has also increased by about a quarter – with the roof down the Convertible now offers 215 litres at the back instead of 160 litres like before.
In terms of engines, every option uses a six-speed manual transmission as standard, but a six-speed Steptronic automatic ‘box is available as an option.
The entry-level Cooper uses a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol unit with 134bhp, allowing the Convertible to cover the 0-62mph sprint in 8.8 seconds when using the manual gearbox. The Cooper D has an 114bhp 1.5-litre diesel which leads to a 0-62mph sprint time of 9.9 seconds.
An 189bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine is used for the Cooper S which covers the 0-62mph sprint in 7.2 seconds with the manual ‘box. The Cooper D is by far the most efficient model in the new Convertible range, official averaging 70.6mpg and emitting just 100g/km.
The Cooper and Cooper S, meanwhile, officially average 55.4mpg and 46.3mpg respectively and CO2 output is 114g/km and 139g/km respectively.
Standard equipment for the MINI Convertible includes an infotainment system with a 6.5-inch display screen. It supports Bluetooth, USB radio and MINI Connected phone apps. A reversing camera is also standard.
