The all-new Mini Convertible has been revealed for international markets, just eight months after the fourth-gen Cooper hatchback debuted in petrol form. This new Convertible is now produced at Mini’s historic Oxford factory, marking the return of production to the UK after nine years of manufacturing in the Netherlands, at the VDL Nedcar plant.
- Mini Convertible gets two turbo-petrol options
- Fabric roof takes 18s to open, 15s to close
- Interior similar to the Cooper hatchback
As Mini’s Oxford plant has paused production of EVs, the Convertible will be offered exclusively with petrol engines. The Convertible C gets a 163hp, 1.5-litre, three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine while the Convertible S packs in a 204hp, 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. Both are paired with a dual-clutch automatic transmission as standard, after Mini dropped manual gearboxes last year.
The Convertible S takes 6.9 seconds to sprint from 0-100kph, making it 0.3 seconds slower than the Cooper S hatchback. Similarly, the Convertible C takes 0.5 seconds longer than the Cooper C hatchback, hitting 100kph in 8.2 seconds. The difference in performance is a result of the additional 40kg added by the fabric roof and its electrical folding mechanism.
Speaking of the fabric roof, it takes 18 seconds to open and 15 seconds to close at speeds of up to 30kph. There's also the option to partially drop the top (by 40cm) to mimic a sunroof. With the roof up, boot space is actually up by 5 litres, compared to the Cooper hatchback, at 215 litres. It decreases to 160 litres with the roof down. A wind deflector and hidden rollover-protection system are fitted as standard.
Inside, the new Convertible is similar to its hatchback counterpart, with a centrally-mounted, circular 9.5-inch infotainment touchscreen that hosts controls for most functions. In select markets, three trim levels are offered. Classic gets 16-inch wheels, part-faux-leather seats and a black cloth dashboard. Exclusive bumps the alloys up to 17-inch, extends the faux leather to the full seat and wraps the dashboard in beige cloth. Sport mirrors the look of the John Cooper Works hot hatch with 18-inch wheels, an aggressive bodykit and seats trimmed in faux leather and corduroy. It also adds paddle shifters to the steering wheel.
While it is yet to be confirmed, the new Mini Convertible is expected to make its way to India as its predecessors have been on sale here. Just two months ago, the British brand expanded its India line-up with the Mini Countryman Electric and the new Mini Cooper hatch.
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
