We might have already seen the brand new MINI Cooper S making its debut in Malaysia, however that one is merely a warmed-over model of the outgoing petrol-powered F56. The way forward for the German-owned British model is electrical, a degree it made crystal clear with the revealing of an all-new, all-electric MINI Cooper final yr.
Set to be launched in Malaysia this weekend, the J01 is a brand new MINI Hatch for a brand new period. Developed in partnership with GWM and constructed at a brand new plant in Zhangjiagang, China, it hides loads of brand-first improvements beneath its recognisably retro design.
Even the mentioned design has been comprehensively revamped, with extra minimalist styling that may be a welcome change from the automotive’s more and more overwrought predecessors. As an example, you not get a clamshell bonnet, entrance fender “scuttles”, chrome highlights and black plastic wheel arches – as a substitute, you get customisable daytime operating lights inside the trademark round headlights and matrix LED taillights with three completely different lighting patterns to select from.
An excellent larger sea change may be discovered on the within, the place the MINI Hatch’s varied shows and toggle switches have been consolidated right into a hanging 9.2-inch OLED round touchscreen, operating on the most recent Android-based MINI Working System 9. Swathes of cloth trim, heat metallic gold highlights and funky sample projectors behind the centre display screen add to the inside’s funky new-age aesthetic.
The earlier MINI Cooper SE might have been hamstrung by its petrol-powered structure, with barely sufficient vary to get out of the town, however this newest mannequin may be very completely different. The highest-of-the-line SE you see right here comes with a 54.2kWh that delivers almost double the vary at as much as 402 km on the WLTP cycle. That’s regardless of it having fairly a bit extra energy – its single entrance motor produces 218 PS (160 kW) and 330 Nm of torque, getting it from zero to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds.
So, the brand new MINI Cooper has extra vary and extra tech, however has the wholesale transfer to electrical propulsion come at the price of Oxford’s renown go kart-like driving dynamics? That’s what Hafriz Shah endeavoured to search out out by testing the automotive in Sitges, Spain, and you may watch his evaluation under.
Seeking to promote your automotive? Promote it with Carro.