Mini to launch longer, taller four-door hatchback

The question of when is a Mini not a Mini has already been rendered moot by BMW’s numerous iterations of the basic idea behind the British brand. We’ve already seen supersized versions of the Mini platform, in the guise of the Countryman and Paceman crossovers. Now, Mini is implementing the next logical (if not exactly pretty) idea of launching a four-door version of the hatchback, the first time that rear doors were offered for the hatch.

The four-door Mini hardtop will feature 72mm more knee room, allowing for a three-seat configuration for the second row. Headroom goes up by 15mm, with 61mm more elbow room. Trunk space also goes up by 67 liters to a no-longer-tiny 278 liters. The new car clocks in at 3982mm long and 1727 wide, an increase of 161mm length.

The four-door shares the styling cues of the two-door hatchback, with a different-colored roof, hexagonal grille, circular headlamps and upright taillamps. The S and SD (diesel) versions get a different grille, hood scoop, front brake air ducts, and center exhausts.

Engines are similar, with a 3-cylinder 136-hp gasoline or a 192-hp four-cylinder in the Cooper S. The Cooper D gets a 116-hp 3-cylinder, while the SD gets a 2.0-liter with 170hp. The SD goes to 100kph in 7.4 seconds, with a rated fuel efficiency of 24.3 km/liter.

Variable damper control is available, with sport, mid, and green modes. The mode switch also changes transmission behavior for the six-speed automatic. A six-speed manual with rev matching on downward shifts is the standard gearbox.

The new-generation Mini Cooper two-door hatchback is expected to debut in the Philippines this year, with the four-door following suit.