Quelle: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/m…date-price-specs-revealed
Zitat:
"The new MINI Cooper 2014 has been revealed: price & release date details
The new MINI 2014 has been revealed. One of the most iconic cars in the world, the MINI has a new look and is the most revolutionary yet. There’s a new design, a radical range of three and four-cylinder engines, more hi-tech kit than ever before and a production site that’s still firmly rooted in Oxford.
The MINI also debuts BMW’s new front-wheel-drive platform architecture, which will underpin a total of 10 MINI and BMW models.
The new MINI has a spring 2014 release date and a starting price of £15,300, but first up, and arguably the most important part of any new MINI, is the styling, which can be seen in our exclusive pictures.
The rounded headlights, tiny overhangs and compact proportions are all trademark MINI. But you’ll notice that there’s a new semi-circle of LED daytime running lights in the headlamps – which can be upgraded to full LEDs as an option. Plus, the tail-lights are now far larger, like those found on the Countryman crossover.
We came to terms long ago with MINI not really meaning mini, and this latest has the biggest MINI dimensions yet. At 3,821mm long, it’s 98mm longer than the outgoing model, as well as being 44mm wider and 7mm taller.
Within those increases is a wheelbase extended by 28mm and a track widened by 42mm at the front and 34mm at the rear. The net effect is a car that is not only more spacious inside but should ride and handle better, too.
Proof of the MINI’s new focus on practicality comes with the news that boot space has increased from 160 litres to a more usable 211 litres. Plus, there’s an optional storage package, which includes a multi-level boot floor and rear seats that can be tilted to increase passenger or luggage space as required.
A recurring feature of the MINI’s interior has been the large centrally mounted speedo – until now, that is. The MkIII hatch is the first to ditch it, with the outer speedo ring replaced by LEDs.
These work in conjunction with things like the parking sensors, glowing green, yellow or red depending on how much space owners have to park the car. The LEDs will also glow blue, orange or red depending on which programme in the new MINI Driving Modes set-up is selected. This option debuts on the new hatch and allows drivers to swap between the standard MID mode to SPORT or GREEN. The latter enables owners to ‘coast’ on the motorway and will change the settings of the automatic box.
Speed, revs and remaining fuel all now sit in the driver’s eyeline, while the large circular centre console will include a four-line TFT display in its most basic form, but can be specced up to a colour screen measuring in at up to 8.8 inches. Infotainment is controlled by a simple rotary dial or an upgraded touch-sensitive dial that lets owners ‘write’ in individual letters when entering things like sat-nav addresses.
Engineers have also worked to improve the MINI’s ride and handling, with a new suspension set-up said to offer improved “acoustic refinement in the cabin” and “eliminate vibrations from the road surface”. The good news for us is that it’s been tested extensively on UK roads. There’s a new Variable Damper Control option, which allows drivers to pick between a comfortable or sporty set-up.
MINI Cooper 2014 engines
Initially, the familiar Cooper, Cooper D and Cooper S line-up will be offered, with each getting one of BMW’s family of modular engines.
The Cooper and Cooper D use 1.5-litre three-cylinders – one petrol and one diesel. In the Cooper, power is up from 122bhp to 134bhp, which slashes the 0-62mph time from 9.1 seconds to 7.9 seconds. In the Cooper D, power is up by 2bhp to 114bhp, which trims the sprint time by half a second to 9.2 seconds.
Both cars are more efficient, with the Cooper D the cleanest of the bunch. It manages up to 80mpg-plus, with CO2 emissions as low as 92g/km. The Cooper promises 62.8mpg economy. Meanwhile, the flagship Cooper S has had its 1.6-litre turbo replaced by a 2.0-litre turbo from the same modular family, with power increasing from 181bhp to 189bhp. That cuts the 0-62mph time by two tenths to 6.8 seconds, but fuel economy has also improved from 49.0mpg to 49.6mpg.
Buyers now have a choice of three six-speed gearboxes: a manual – which can mimic heel-and-toe downshifts – an auto and a sports auto, complete with shorter shift times and rev-matching downshifts.
But going for an auto doesn’t mean a huge jump in emissions or a big dent in economy, as it does on the outgoing model. The auto can even improve
efficiency and performance, as it does in the Cooper S model.
MINI Cooper 2014 Price
The new MINI Cooper will go on sale in the spring, with a starting price from £15,300 – the current one costs £14,900 – while the Cooper D sees a similar hike to £16,450 and the Cooper S starts at £18,650.
MINI buyers get a bit more standard kit for their money, though, such as keyless go and Bluetooth. And as ever, there is lots of scope for personalisation, with a list of options including a John Cooper Works spoiler, contrasting mirrors and a set of roof rails. Plus, there are hi-tech features such as head-up display and traffic sign recognition.
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Read more: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/m…cs-revealed#ixzz2l0TTnXrI"