MINI ONE D
A Diesel
MINI May Sound A Little Odd, But The Overall Package Is Well Worth Considering. Andy Enright Takes A Look At The Revised Version
Is there any limit to what the MINI can achieve? Its won our hearts in Cooper, Cooper-S and Convertible guises with only the diesel variant playing a rather forgotten, supporting role in the background. Now, that may be about to change.
Some serious refettling of the
Toyota-sourced 1.4-litre turbo diesel engine has taken place and about time too. In its original form as supplied to MINI, this units power output was so feeble that the MINI D struggled to break the rest to sixty barrier in under fourteen seconds. Now, with an extra 13bhp on tap, that figure has fallen to 11.
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9s still not blistering but much more like it. Even better news is that this upgrade has had no impact on the impressive fuel consumption figures (so you can still expect to average around 60mpg.) That means over 600 miles from a tankfull, or, as
BMW note, from the Isle of Skye to the Isle of Wight without refuelling..
The power hike is due to a revised engine management system and fuel injectors, as well as an exhaust gas re-circulation with a large-capacity catalytic converter. Torque has been increased by 10Nm to 190Nm and is now available between the engine speeds of 1800 and 3000 rpm. The top speed is 109mph, and the new engine naturally complies with EU4 emission standards. Although it shares much in common, the
MINI One Ds 1.
4-litre unit isnt exactly the same as
Toyota fit to their Yaris D-4D. The torque improvements mean that the MINI One D feels smooth and powerful at engine speeds barely above tickover. This engine features many of the current diesel must haves such as direct injection, common rail technology and a turbocharger and intercooler couplet. In an effort to pare weight down, the cylinder head and the crank case are made of aluminium.
"Performance is still not blistering but is now much more like it."
The 1,175kg all-up weight gives lie to the belief that diesel-engined tiddlers are dull to drive and the real benefits of the diesel engine come when you can keep the turbocharger on song. A six-speed manual gearbox has been fitted to help you do just that and means that you can surge from 50- to 75mph in fourth gear in around 12 seconds. The sixth gear is best used as an economy overdrive gear on motorways, dropping the engine revs down and making long distance journeys very relaxing. The diesel engine is reasonably refined (though apparently not enough for MINI to offer it in Convertible form).
Still, few will notice youre squashing oil rather than igniting gasoline under the bonnet but there are some clues to help the anoraks out of a spot. Aside from the MINI One D logo on the bootlid, the diesel car has bigger front air intakes for additional engine cooling and a blanked off rear bumper skirt that conceals the exhaust pipe. MINI Cooper S side sills are also fitted as standard equipment. Otherwise its much as the standard petrol MINI One and that means recent styling enhancements such as the clear lens headlamps, deeper front bumper and reversing lights integrated into revised light clusters at the rear.
Clamber underneath and youll spot BMWs Z-axle multi-link rear suspension. Theres a wrap-around glasshouse with glazed in side pillars featuring fully flush panes. This creates a floating-roof effect and a lot of chrome around the front end. Should you take exception to the front end, youll be reassured to learn that the MINIs crash performance looks set to be the best in class, taking energy-absorption technologies from the BMW range and coupling them with a safety cell two to three times as stiff as any of its rivals.
Like the original Issigonis Mini, the interior is still somewhat cramped, and retro themes abound, from the chrome radiator grille to the cavernous door bins. The centrally mounted speedometer, chromed headlamp rims and door handles all act as visual throwbacks to the Fifties. Other changes have a distinctly modern touch. The laughable boot of the original Mini has been replaced by a more practical hatchback arrangement.
Driver and passenger airbags are standard as are side bags. Anti-lock disc brakes are featured, plus that upright rear screen is treated to a wiper to help visibility. Its hard to imagine Sir Alec Issigonis baby featuring remote central locking, six speaker stereos, electric windows and electric door mirrors on his base model, but thats forty years and German attention to detail for you. Some rather cheap silver-painted plastics are used in the interior, as the original aluminium fittings were ditched on the grounds of cost.
Other proposed touches such as the sixties-style starter button and stalk-mounted hazard lights also got the chop due to pricing concerns, showing how tight profit margins are even in this potentially lucrative market sector. In certain respects, the MINI One shoots wide of the mark regarding voguish Citycars. At a time when tall and narrow represents the state of the art, the MINI is more state of the ark unashamedly squat, with bulging rear wheelarch extensions and a raking, low roofline. This refusal to follow the pack has paid off big for BMW as US sales figures attest.
The Mini One Ds combination of Japanese engineering, German marketing savvy and British build quality looks to be a winner. Its a sensible car, if still lacking a little of the outright verve that the MINI brand has come to signify. What price a Cooper D with BMWs 150bhp 2.0-litre diesel? Now that would really be something
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: MINI One D
PRICE: £12,225 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 5
CO2 EMISSIONS: 129g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 109mph / 0-60mph 11.9s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 48.7mpg / (extra urban) 65.7mpg / (combined) 58.9mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 3626/1925/1396mm
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