Mini 5 door for the masses

Mini takes the practical path as the premium brand revealed the new Mini 5 door. Though the extended hatchback has increased rear room, the company ensures it still handles like a go-kart. This is the first time the British carmaker has introduced a 5 door model in the small car segment.

The 5 door's overall length is 3,982mm, extended by 161 mm, and it is taller by 11 mm to 1,425 mm. With the wheelbase increased to 72 mm, this boosts the rear legroom space while headroom is 15mm more and the elbow room is more by 61 mm despite the width remaining identical to the Mini 3 door at 1,727 mm. The new expanded hatchback gets three seats at the rear instead of two. Apart from the boosted cabin space, the boot too is increased to 278 litres, 67 litres more than in the 3 door model.

The new Mini 5 door carries over the same engine options from its smaller sibling. There is a choice of two petrol and the two diesel engines. The entry level gets the 1499cc, 3-cylinder petrol with 136hp while the top variant is powered by 1,998cc, 4-cylinder engine pumping out 192hp. The diesel engine options are the 3-cylinder 1,496cc with 116hp and the 4-cylinder 1,995cc with 170hp. It is available in either six-speed manual, and six-speed automatic gearbox. The latter comes with paddle shifters on the steering wheel.

In terms of looks, it is the same as the current Mini which comes with a host of customisable options.