Two-door MINI SUV hits Oz

Discounting off-road icons like Toyota’s LandCruiser TroopCarrier and the original Range Rover, Land Rover was first to the modern two-door SUV party with its popular Evoque, which will be joined by a coupe version of next year’s all-new Porsche Macan.

Now MINI has joined the craze by introducing a two-door version of its mould-breaking SUV, the Countryman, priced $1800 higher at $35,900 (Cooper) and $44,100 (Cooper S), with an (also six-speed) automatic transmission adding $2350 to the base manual pricing.

Looked at another way, the crossover-style Paceman - which actually has 14mm and 25mm (Cooper S) less ground clearance than the Countryman – costs $4300 more than the equivalent Cooper hatch, MINI’s most popular model.

Naturally, MINI’s seventh distinct model (which brings the total number of MINI variants available in Australia to 25) is expected to attract a niche audience, with 200 Paceman sales this year representing just one-third of Countryman volume.

Unlike the Countryman, which has become MINI’s second best seller in SUV-mad Australia, the Paceman is available only in front-wheel drive configuration, and MINI says it doesn’t expect any demand for the latter’s ALL4 all-wheel drive system in the Paceman.

Also unlike the Countryman, which now comes standard with a three-seat rear bench seat, the Paceman remains strictly a four-seater, in line with its sportier focus.

MINI says it expects the Paceman to attract buyers from all walks of life and a wide range of models – but not other MINIs. It says the average Paceman buyer will be 34 years old with a household income of $170,000, with 70 per cent expected to be male and 77 per cent expected to be married with kids.

The born-again BMW-owned British brand believes 80 per cent of Paceman buyers are willing to spend at least $40,000 on a coupe, crossover or wagon, and that 99 per cent will research rival models and want a car that looks distinctive.

Distinctive the Paceman certainly is, but it’s also less practical than the Countryman. Apart from its twin rear bucket seats, there is 43mm less rear headroom, 20 litres less boot space (330 litres) and 90 litres less total cargo space (1080 litres), although this is augmented by a 50/50-split folding rear seatback that folds almost flat and ‘centre rail’ mounted twin cupholders.

The rest of the Paceman’s interior package is virtually identical to the Countryman, although its two-door body is further differentiated by a rearward-sloping roofline and rising shoulder line that create a V-shaped side window area, horizontal rather than vertical tail-lights, a rear roof spoiler and a two-slat (rather than three-slat) chromed grille with wider surround.

Despite its stronger urban focus (few Pacemans are ever expected to head off-road, but there’s still more versatility than in the two-seat MINI Coupe), there’s the same matt-black lower body cladding as seen on the Countryman but, to avoid confusion, it wears large ‘PACEMAN’ lettering on its rump.

Although that suggests the Paceman is niche even by MINI standards, all MINI models will be identified via rear-end badging from the 2014 model year. Other Paceman departures include revised door trims, window switches relocated to the doors and the addition of blue/orange ambient lighting.

As in the Countryman, the base Paceman comes with six airbags, DSC stability control, ABS anti-lock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution, rear parking sensors and Bluetooth connectivity.

More than compensating for its $1800 premium, however, are rain-sensing wipers, chrome line trim, 10mm-lower sports suspension and 16-inch ‘5-star’alloys with 205/60 tyres.

In addition to 17-inch’5-Hole’ alloys with 205/55 tyres, the Cooper S Paceman adds DTC traction control with an electronic differential lock (EDLC), a Sport button that changes the electric steering and throttle pedal maps, clear indicator lenses, dual outboard exhaust outlets, a black honeycomb grille insert and Dark Anthracite interior surfaces.

Eight exterior paint colours are available, including the Starlight Blue hero colour (which like all metallic paints adds $800) and a new ‘Blazing Red ‘super solid’ hue that costs $400, and buyers can specify white or black mirrors and the deletion of sports suspension and/or model designation at no extra cost.

A host of options are on offer, including run-flat tyres for $200 (the ‘MINI Mobility System’ repair kit is standard), 17-, 18- and 19-inch alloys ($1000-$3700), two leather seat trims ($2050-$2450), seat heating ($490), chromed exterior mirror caps ($150) and white or black bonnet stripes ($200).

Also available is an electric glass sunroof ($1990), anti-dazzle interior mirror ($250), bi-Xenon headlights with washers ($1200), automatic climate-control ($550), a ‘Visual Boost’ sound system ($750), satellite-navigation ($1150, only with the latter), a harman/kardon 10-speaker HiFi system ($1200) and a multitude of interior surface treatments.

A Chilli Package groups many of these for an extra $3200 (Cooper S: $3700).

The standard Cooper Paceman is powered by MINI’s naturally aspirated 90kW/160Nm 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, consuming 6.5L/100km (auto: 7.6L1/00km) and accelerating to 100km/h in a claimed 10.4 seconds (auto: 11.5).

The MINI Cooper S Paceman, meantime, offers a more powerful twin-scroll turbocharged 1.6-litre four delivering 135kW and 240Nm (260Nm during overboost for short periods), consuming 6.6L/100km (auto: 7.5L/100km) and accelerating to 100km/h in a claimed 7.5 seconds (auto: 7.8).

Base Pacemans weigh 165kg more than the MINI Cooper hatch at 1255kg (DIN), which is 10kg more than the equivalent Countryman, with the auto adding 30kg and Cooper S versions adding another 50kg.

Expect the MINI Cooper JCW Paceman to up the ante with even more power in May, priced at about $59,600 – $1800 more than the MINI JCW Countryman due here March.

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