Andy Goundry:

 Just months after launching the new MINI Hatch, MINI has today announced an expansion to the model range with the addition of an entirely new body variant – the MINI 5-door Hatch.

It’s the first time in the history of the brand that the Hatch has been offered with two rear doors, and the new model promises to combine the hallmark driving fun, distinctive character and refinement of its 3-door sibling with enhanced practicality.

This brand new model features enhanced interior comfort and practicality thanks to the extended wheelbase. Rear passengers now have 72 millimetres more legroom compared to the 3-door Hatch, while the increased space also provides room for a third seat in the back row. The two rear doors make access to the enhanced rear seating more comfortable.

The new model offers an additional 15 mm of headroom. Meanwhile, the car’s interior width at elbow height also increases by 61 mm. The boot has a volume of 278 litres, up 67 litres or around 30 per cent compared to the 3-door Hatch.

The body of the new MINI Cooper 5-door Hatch and Cooper D 5-door Hatch is 3,982 mm long, 1,727 mm wide and 1,425 mm tall, 161 mm longer and 11 mm taller than the 3-door MINI Hatch, with the width remaining unchanged. The wheelbase has been extended by 72 mm over the 3-door to 2,567 mm, while the track is identical to that of the 3-door model.

Exterior design: Unmistakably MINI

The new MINI 5-door Hatch shares the unmistakable appearance of the rest of the MINI family, with the body, window area, or “greenhouse”, and roof all being visually separated from one another. The longer body further emphasises the wide track and short overhangs of the 3-door car, giving the 5-door a rather more striking appearance. Traditional design features include the hexagonal contour of the radiator grille, the side indicator surrounds known as ‘side scuttles’, the circular headlights, the upright rear light clusters and the black periphery at the bottom edge of the body.

Cooper S and Cooper SD variants will also be available, emphasising their sporty flair with a honeycomb pattern in the radiator grille, an anthracite bumper trim, bonnet scoop, brake air ducts integrated in the lower air inlets and a separate rear apron with exhaust pipes located at the centre. These model variants also bear a red ‘S’ logo with a chrome border on the side scuttle elements and also on the chrome bar of the radiator grille.

There is a palette of two solid and nine metallic exterior colours for the new MINI 5-door Hatch, including the return of customer favourite ‘Electric Blue’. In all models, the roof and exterior mirror caps can be finished in a contrasting colour, white or black, as a no-cost option.

Engines: Fun and frugal

There are four engines with MINI TwinPower Turbo Technology to choose from. A 3-cylinder petrol engine with a peak output of 136 bp powers the MINI Cooper 5-door Hatch.  The new MINI Cooper D 5-door Hatch is powered by an 116 hp 3-cylinder diesel engine which offers combined fuel economy of 78.5 mpg whilst CO2 emissions start from 95 g/km.The output of the 4-cylinder petrol engine in the MINI Cooper S 5-door Hatch is 192 hp. The S is claimed to dispatch the sprint to 62mph in just 6.8 secs.

With the introduction of the 5-door, the MINI Cooper SD 5-door Hatch is presented for the first time with a new 2.0-litre 4-cylinder diesel power unit that has an output of 170 hp. This highly capable new engine offers a perfect balance of exhilarating performance, with a 0-62 time of 7.4 seconds, and frugal economy of 68.9 mpg.

All model variants of the new MINI 5-door Hatch meet the EU6 exhaust emission standard.

Transmissions are the same newly developed 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic units on the 3-door models. The automatic features an engine start/stop function, preventing unnecessary fuel consumption. When used in conjunction with the MINI Navigation System, it’s able to take account of the selected route profile and control gear shifts. Based on navigation data, the appropriate drive position is selected to match the road ahead, preventing unnecessary upshifts.

On the Cooper S and Cooper SD, a six-speed sports automatic transmission is available which enables even shorter shift times, and features rev matching on downward shifts. It can also be operated in manual mode using shift paddles behind the steering wheel.

As with the 3-door, Variable Damper Control with adjustable dampers is available as an option, as are MINI driving modes which offers drivers the choice between SPORT, MID and GREEN modes using a rotary switch at the base of the gearstick or selector lever to swap from the default MID mode to either SPORT or GREEN. 

Fuel economy has received special focus in developing the new MINI range. The standard fuel saving features includes the now-expected shift-point display function and brake energy recuperation, but several more interesting technical features are hidden under the bonnet. For example, an optimised preheating process on the diesels achieves approximately 50 per cent reduction in the energy required to start the diesel engines. What MINI describe as “need-oriented” control of the fuel pump, coolant pump and other ancillary units feature on all models, whilst the electromechanical power steering and map-controlled oil pumps in all engines are optimised for the most efficient use. Optimisation of aerodynamic properties has also been achieved by measures such as active cooling air flaps, extensive underbody trim and air ducting elements in the upper section of the C columns. This has resulted in drag coefficients (Cd value) of 0.30 (MINI Cooper 5-door Hatch, MINI Cooper D 5-door Hatch) or 0.32 (MINI Cooper S 5-door Hatch) and 0.33 (MINI Cooper SD 5-door Hatch).

 Interior design: Premium and practical

Interior design closely mirrors that of the 3-door range with the extra body length offering increased practicality. The rear backrest with a 60:40 split can be folded down. This enables the load volume to be increased in stages as required, from 278 litres to as much as 941 litres. Numerous cupholders and cubby holes make it easy to take drinks and travel items in the car, and there is an additional storage compartment is optionally available behind the trim strip on the passenger side. A storage package is also available as an option, and includes a double dual-section load compartment floor, additional lashing eyes and floor net for the luggage compartment, seats which can be angled more steeply so as to create more luggage space and map pouches for the backrests of the front seats.

Seats in a fabric/leather combination and leather finish are offered as an alternative to the standard fabric version. The Cooper S and SD 5-door Hatches are fitted with sport seats as standard and these are also available as an option for the other variants. These seats provide good lateral support, and feature very effective extendable thigh supports.

Lightweight, safe and agile

Intelligent lightweight construction means that weight reduction in the MINI is combined with a high level of rigidity. The result is improved agility and occupant protection. In spite of the wide range of fittings, virtually all variants of the new MINI 5-door Hatch are claimed to be lighter than their competitors in the segment. Highly resilient load-bearing structures, advanced deformation zones and an extremely stable passenger cell provide an excellent basis for keeping impact energy away from passengers and ensuring maximum occupant protection. The standard safety fittings of the new MINI 5-door Hatch comprise front and side airbags, as well as curtain airbags for the front and rear seats. All seats are fitted with 3-point seat belts, belt tensioners and belt force limiters at the front. ISOFIX child seat mountings are provided at the rear and the front passenger seat. The safety concept behind the 5-door is geared towards achieving maximum scores on all the relevant crash tests worldwide.

Pricing 

The new MINI 5–door Hatch range starts at £15,900 OTR, a  model-for-model price increase of £600 compared to its 3-door sibling.

Model	OTR Cost
MINI Cooper 5-door Hatch	£15,900
MINI Cooper D 5-door Hatch	£17,050
MINI Cooper S 5-door Hatch	£19,255
MINI Cooper SD 5-door Hatch	£20,050

Built at Plant Oxford, MINI’s state of the art global manufacturing base, the MINI 5-door Hatch will hit UK roads this autumn. We believe it could become one of the best-selling MINI variants, as there are many potential buyers who love the MINI, yet find the 3-door just too impractical and consider the Countryman not a “proper MINI”.

Look out for more information on the MINI website.