Bali high in the new Minis

Every year, MINI Asia, MINI Indonesia and BMW Group Indonesia organize a driving adventure for Asean media in Bali, one of the world’s most exotic islands globally admired for its natural beauty, serenity and cultural heritage.

Motoring journalists from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia itself are invited in separate groups, one after the other to experience for three days the famous go-kart feeling of the newest MINI Coopers.

Last week, the program was called MINI Adventure 2016, but the vehicles used were 2017 model MINIs, specifically the new MINI Clubman and the new MINI Cabrio (a more elegant word for “convertible”).

This year’s theme, “New Way to Open the Sophistication,” is in sync with the recent introduction of the 2017 MINI Cabrio to the region.

It showcases MINI’s new brand identity of extra maturity associated with the new MINI generation.

At the product launch and itinerary briefing on the first day last Wednesday, MINI Asia head Peter “Sunny” Medalla informed us that we were in for over 300 kilometers of scenic driving.

The itinerary included visiting the Secret Garden coffee plantation in Kuta, stopping for drinks and snacks at Krisna Beach Street in Singaraja, staying overnight at the Naya Gawana resort and spa inside the Menjangan National Park, stopover and drinks the next morning at Lacosta Beach Club followed by a photo session at Njana Tilem Museum in Ubud, lunch at Alaya Manisan Resort, and finally, the Ubud city center and Seminyak through Sanur to check in at the five-star suites-only Katamama Hotel for sunset cocktails at Potato Head Beach Club and a formal closing dinner at Katamama’s fifth floor roofdeck.

On the third day, we were allowed free time to drive the MINIs around Ubud to go shopping, but most of us asked for a driver familiar with the city streets.

In the afternoon, we drove the MINIs to Uluwatu Temple to watch the Kecak fire dance, a Balinese cultural tourist attraction.

Nine MINI Coopers—eight Cabrios and one Clubman— were lined up for our use during the MINI Adventure 2016. Three motorcycle policemen guided and stopped traffic for the MINI convoy everywhere we went.

Driving impressions

The new MINIs are built on BMW’s modular UKL front wheel drive platform, which also underpins the BMW X1 subcompact crossover. (MINI Cooper, if you don’t know yet, is a division of the BMW Group.)

Turbocharged engines make the MINIs universally fun to drive with their superlative handling and braking.

The 2017 Cabrio is the latest iteration of the first and the only premium convertible in the small car segment, while the 2017 Clubman is the longest and widest MINI Cooper at present.

The Cabrio test cars in Bali were either a base model or an S. The base MINI Cooper Cabrio has a 1.5-liter, 3-cylinder direct-injection TwinPower Turbo engine producing 136 bhp and 220 Nm max torque, mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission (A/T), and able to hit 100 kph from zero in 8.7 seconds.

The MINI Cooper S Cabrio, equipped with a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder direct-injection TwinPower Turbo packing 192 bhp and 280 Nm peak torque, is mated to a 6-speed A/T, and able to hit 100 kph from standstill in 7.3 seconds.

Given those specs, the S Cabrio was naturally more exhilarating to carom through Bali’s winding highland roads, but it costs P3.150 million or P350,000 more than the standard Cabrio.

The 2017 Clubman tester was a performance-oriented S model with Turbo 4 engine that packs enough power and torque to get the relatively large vehicle sprinting from idle to 100 kph in 7.1 seconds on to a top speed of 228 kph.

Shooting brake

While the first Clubman was an elongated version of the MINI hatchback, the 2017 model interprets the British tradition-steeped shooting brake concept combining sporting style and functionality.

The shooting brake concept is reflected in the Clubman’s stretched silhouette, long roof line and steep rear.

The 8-speed Steptronic sports transmission with paddle shifters and launch control function easily hustles the engine of the S Clubman to triple digit speeds where it stays with no problems from under the hood.

The driving experience in terms of comfort, safety and efficiency is enhanced further by new technology and innovations in the areas of drivetrain, suspension, controls, connectivity and driver assistance plus improved aerodynamic properties by means of optimized air ducting elements.

Medalla, who drives an S Clubman in Singapore where he is based, says that it seats five persons comfortably, and is a perfect daily driver for him, his wife and three children.

The new Clubman has four regular doors that make ingress and egress easy, plus the useful rear barn doors retained from the Traveller and Countryman versions of the old MINI.

The cabin of the Clubman is elegantly redesigned and more spacious, uses high quality materials, and shows impeccable craftsmanship and premium refinement.

The interior of the test unit, a burgundy Clubman S, was upholstered with diamond-stitched indigo blue leather that was reportedly inspired by traditional English Chesterfield coaches.

The Clubman’s cargo area extends to almost 1,250 liters from 360 liters when the 40/20/40 rear seat backrests are folded.

I tried the rear seat and found it not so comfy after a long drive because of the tough base of the rear seat cushion.

On the other hand, legroom is, of course, more generous in the back of a Clubman because of its lengthened wheelbase.

The 2017 MINI Cooper S Clubman retails at P3.3 million.

Wider and longer Cabrio

People who are not MINI enthusiasts may not notice the exterior differences between generations, but the new MINIs have a longer nose to comply with the latest frontal crash-safety regulations and European rules for more space under the hood in case of accidents with pedestrians.

The 2017 MINI Cabrio is a bit wider and longer than the edition it replaces, but it is still a compact car with a curb weight of only 3,000 pounds.

Like the MINI Hardtop, it gains a new interior, updated sheet metal and high-tech upgrades.

With the new Cabrio, the design of the front bumper and oblong grille has been revised so that the grille’s widest point meeting the hood is just above the bulging fog light housings.

At the rear, the taillights are larger and closer to a square, although still vertical rectangles.

The Cabrio model emphasizes the horizontal window line, and while its rear flip-down tailgate gives the back of the vehicle a different profile,  the stance is virtually the same as that of the Hardtop.

On the S Cabrio, wheels are 16-inch, and on the base Cabrio, 15-inch. The tires provide plenty of grip.

Both the 6-speed and 8-speed automatic transmissions worked well.

Soft top

The Cabrio is equipped with a retractable soft cloth top that opens or closes in 18 seconds at speeds up to 30 kph. If you’re driving faster than that, you can use a sunroof option that allows you to retract the front part of the top by about 15 inches.

The 2017 MINI Cabrio offers a clever rainfall warning app, which like many smartphone widgets, will warn you of impending downpours.

Unfortunately, we could not check its accuracy as the Cabrio test units were not so equipped, and some participants got doused while driving topdown.

The cabin of the four-seater Cabrio is almost identical to the third generation MINI Hardtop.  The interior has evolved from its quirky beginnings to a more useful and meaningful design, with instruments located where you expect them. In the aqua blue S Cabrio, the upholstery was quilted malt brown leather.

The Cabrio is good for front passengers, but not so for rear passengers and cargo space. Behind the wheel, there is plenty of headroom with the seat down low.

The fuel-saving start/stop system in the MINI is generally smoother than in some BMWs.

The switchgear is easier to find and more logical to operate. The round shape in the center of the dash is now a 6.5-inch display screen flanked by a pair of rectangular air vents. There are three standard rotary knobs for the heating, ventilation and airconditioning (HVAC).

Red, blue or green

A toggle at the base of the ring around the shift lever lets you choose from Sport, Mid or Green driving modes with a corresponding red, blue or green ring lighting up around the center display screen. Sport keeps the idle speed higher, holds gears longer and stiffens the steering.

The metallic switchgear for the Cabrio’s power-folding roof can heat up in direct sunlight, making the roof inoperable in summer. With the top down, road imperfections are felt more readily in the Cabrio than in the Hardtop.

Second only to the MINI’s unique looks is its ability to provide good, playful fun. Although weighing 250 pounds more than the base Cooper, the Cabrio doesn’t feel like the heavier sibling. Its steering rack keeps the same eager response as its Hardtop cousins.

The car’s fun is found in the corners, not straight-line speed.  So while the Cabrio was engaging to drive through the twisties of Bali’s mountains, on a long straight bridgeway, its performance wasn’t as thrilling.

In short, the MINI Cooper S Cabrio packs more low-end grunt and more practicality than a sports car like the Mazda MX-5, but its driving experience is different because of the inherent compromise of an open-top design.

If you want performance above all, the Hardtop or the John Cooper Works Hardtop is the car for you.

Meanwhile, growing the appeal of its models is something that MINI Cooper needs to continue to do in order to keep its brand relevant—even if the cars keep getting less and less MINI, and become more maxi like the 2017 Clubman.