The new Mini now gets five doors instead of three. Is it still a Mini, asks Shapur Kotwal.
The new Mini five-door is now more than four metres long, weights around 1.4 tonnes, and is over 1.7 metres wide. Inside, there's enough space to seat four, and a fair-sized boot. It may not be small anymore, but is it a real Mini?
The neo retro design language is down pat, for sure, and the bulldog-like nose, bleached roof and the 'go-faster' stripes all look great. However, the new Mini does look disproportionately long now. You soon get used to it, but it definitely lacks that almost cube-like appeal of the three-door.
That go-kart like chuckabilty of the Mini is there in spades.
Of the additional 160mm length, 70mm has gone into the wheelbase, which has made for some rear legroom, but it's still less than in a VW Polo. The black interior makes it worse. The rear door is small, and the opening is restricted, so getting in and being comfortable is difficult. The rest of the length is used for additional boot space, which is up to 278 litres now.