MINI Convertible 2016 Review

MINI Cooper Convertible
Australian Launch Review
Batemans Bay, NSW

Apparently the MINI Convertible is a girl's car. MINI Australia says almost 57 per cent of buyers are female. But we reckon the new model, which is now better equipped, more powerful, more efficient and more affordable by almost five grand – at $37,900 – will have plenty of appeal for everyone. Available here from late April, the third-generation MINI cabrio features a cloth-folding roof and a plenty more Easter eggs to boot. Time to unwrap it!

There's no denying the brand value of MINI. Whether you like these cars or not, the British heritage, the iconic exterior designs and quirky but upmarket interiors are attracting more and more customers each year locally and globally.

MINI says more than a third of buyers purchase MINIs based purely on the look, which is probably why the designs haven't changed much over the past decade.

But dig a little deeper, as we are wont to do here at motoring.com.au, and you'll find the new-generation MINIs surprise and delight like Ricky Gervais at the 2012 Emmy Awards.

You might not have picked it but the car on test here, the MINI Convertible, is all-new. Even the name is new. Yep, out with Cabrio, in with Convertible.

It's got new underpinnings – engines, suspension, electrics, you name it – plus new body work, a higher quality cabin, more interior tech and of course a new cloth roof that takes 18 seconds to open or close by hitting a funky toggle switch.

You can even open the roof remotely with the key fob if you option the convenience pack ($1800).

In a nutshell it's a better car to drive or be a passenger in, and a six-speed automatic transmission is now standard on all models… but more on that later. First the drawcard, MINI's roofless attitude.

The roof can fandango at up to 30km/h and can even be opened half way, giving it a moon-roof effect when you don't want the full wind (or cow dung aroma) in your hair effect.

Spending time in the MINI is generally very pleasant. It's a bit bigger now -- 10cm longer, 4cm wider -- which liberates more room for four occupants and 25 per cent more boot space, up to 215 litres now. It's a well-equipped vehicle and feels just a bit nicer now too.

Entry-level Cooper cabrio models nab dual-zone climate, contoured manually-adjustable seats, a reversing camera, reversing sensors, 16-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth and USB audio streaming as standard features.

There's a couple of neat Easter eggs that are gratis too, such as a function that measures the accumulated time you drive roofless. More obvious (at night or in underground car parks) is a rather cool 'puddle light' projection of the MINI logo on the driver's side, lighting up the ground with more flair than a Mexican wrestler.

If you want fancy-pants satellite-navigation, adaptive dampers, automatic high-beam LED headlights, tan leather seats or any of the other myriad options and customisations – such as a British flag (Union Jack) embroidered into the roof -- it'll cost you extra.

Roof open, windows down with no wind deflector installed, it's bloody windy. Whapping the windows up reduces wind swirl and buffet somewhat, the optional wind deflector ($520) even more so, to the point my hair was only lightly tussled at 90km/h or more. Well worth the outlay if you plan on driving topless frequently.

The cloth folding roof blocks some rearward vision when open as is scrunches up over the boot, but it's fine when closed thanks to a good sized glass rear window with in-built demister.

Once securely in place – it's all automatic, electrically powered now (previously hydraulic) – the roof does a better job than the Mazda MX-5 at blocking out wind noise, sealing tightly.

There's also more room in the new model and during the national launch four journalists, each measuring roughly six feet tall, managed to fit without hyperextending a hip flexor.

Unsurprisingly the stereo is good, belting out music from our test USB stick with ease and remaining very crisp even with the roof open.

The interior décor is radically different to almost every other car out there, but that's a good thing and generally it all works.

My only bug bear was that the lovely infotainment system is not a touch screen. Just a stupid decision really, when you consider the ease of smartphone-like touch-screens, although using the rotator dial to the driver's left isn't too bad.

The entry-level MINI Cooper Convertible gets a new powertrain in this third-generation model, using BMW's lusty little 1.5-litre turbo-petrol three-cylinder driving the front wheels through a smooth six-speed automatic transmission, the latter now standard, and it's a charmer.

Pumping out 100kW and 220Nm, the new turbo triple is a gorgeous engine, with far more acceleration off the bottom end than the previous 1.6-litre non-turbo engine, which was a raspy thing devoid of the character present in the new engine.

It accelerates to 100km/h in 8.8 seconds and uses fuel at a (claimed) rate of 5.3L/100km – very efficient! And I really like the way the engine does a little fart when changing gears under full throttle. Cheeky!

MINI has crafted a more endearing car to drive too. The view from the driver's seat is suitably sporty, the steering is a little more involving now, plus there's more grip thanks to a stiffer body. This culminates in fun-to-drive package that yields a surprising performance threshold when cannoning through corners.

In other words, hold on to your hats! Like many convertibles the lack of a rigid roof means it's heavier and not as dextrous, and although there's probably more flex in the body than the well-sorted Mazda MX-5, overall the MINI feels solid.

If you want a little more swagger, step up to the MINI Cooper S Convertible. You'll pay more, at $45,400 (although that's almost $6000 less than previously), but you get a lot more oomph.

The engine is bigger and beefier, a four-cylinder 2.0-litre turbo that bangs out 141kW and 280Nm, propelling the car to 100km/h in 7.1 seconds.

And it does so with plenty of voice! The pops and burbles from the exhaust sound great with the top down, especially on a trailing throttle. Fuel consumption is rated at just 5.8L/100km.

The Cooper S model adds more standard features too, such as larger 17-inch alloy wheels, steering wheel gear shifter paddles, LED headlights and daytime running lights, a JCW leather steering wheel, firmer sports suspension, sports seats with leather sections, high-end multimedia infotainment with navigation, plus keyless engine start.

It's a more aggressive vehicle -- faster, flatter through corners -- but the Cooper S is not necessarily more enticing. I actually preferred the slower entry-level Cooper, because it's a more frugal vehicle with more than enough power to still have loads of fun.

All models come standard with a six-speed auto but purists can option a slick-shifting six-speed manual for no extra cost. In the regular Cooper, however, the gearing in the manual felt too tall and the auto was actually a better performer overall.

MINI calls this new-generation convertible its "most affordable cabrio yet". That's true. But it's also the best cabrio MINI's built too. It's more capable, more fun, has a more premium feel plus it's safer and has all the custom colour and feature options for owners to make the car their own.

One could argue the hefty premium of around $8000 is a lot to pay for a tiny convertible compared to the hatchback but in the bigger scheme of things, compared to rivals like the Audi A3 Cabriolet, it stands up well -- particularly in terms of value.

Best of all, the new MINI Convertible is a more rewarding car to drive in the fashion that befits the brand – with gusto! – and methinks boys will have just as much fun in this as girls.

2016 MINI Cooper Convertible pricing and specifications:
Price: $37,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 100kW/220Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 5.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 124g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: TBC

Also consider:
>> Mazda MX-5 (from $31,990)
>> Audi A3 Cabrio (from $48,600)
>> Citroen DS3 Cabrio (from $36,590)