Photo: Florin Profir
When people first heard that the 2015 MINI Cooper will be using a downsized engine they freaked out. The biggest concern wasn’t that the mill would be losing 100cc of its displacement but more related to the architecture and migration to a 3-cylinder configuration.
Therefore, we had to take one out for a test, to see if people had anything to be concerned about. To make a long story short: the MINI Cooper is still as fun to drive as ever, maybe even better.
The old mill had been in production for over 8 years, being first unveiled back in 2006. It was a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine good for 120 HP and 160 Nm (118 lb-ft). It was decent for a car that weighed a little over a ton.
The performance wasn’t all that bad either at 9.1 seconds to 100 km/h (62 mph) and with a combined fuel consumption of 5.8 l/100 km (40.6 mpg). However, that efficiency was never achievable and the new model was aiming to improve exactly that aspect.
Under the bonnet now lies a B38 engine that was developed by BMW alone. Its 1.5-liter 3-cylinder architecture coupled with turbocharging makes 136 HP and 220 Nm (162 lb-ft) of torque. While 16 extra HP might seem too little, the 60 extra Nm (44 lb-ft) make a huge difference.
It also helps that they are available in full from 1,250 RPM, which makes the little Cooper feel like a diesel engine in terms of pulling power. The only trick is that it’s also a fun diesel that really lets you smile and enjoy life behind the wheel.
If you look at the specs on paper, you’ll soon learn that there are other improvements as well. The acceleration to the traditional 100 km/h (62 mph) speed takes 1.2 seconds less now and the fuel consumption should’ve gone down by 1.3 l/100 km, down to 4.5 l/100 km (52.3 mpg) on a combined cycle. Of course, we didn’t get close to those numbers but an improvement was noticed.
As for the way it drives, you really shouldn’t be worried. The new 6-speed gearbox does its job perfectly and the torquey engine makes an excellent sound that is, unfortunately, blocked by the heavy soundproofing. On top of that you also get a rev-matching feature that could come in handy to those that don’t master the heel and toe technique just yet.
Therefore, you really need not worry about the MINI Cooper. BMW managed to keep its essence alive and even with this new engine things are still fun, we dare say even better. To read all about it, head down to our full 2015 MINI Cooper review.
The old mill had been in production for over 8 years, being first unveiled back in 2006. It was a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine good for 120 HP and 160 Nm (118 lb-ft). It was decent for a car that weighed a little over a ton.
The performance wasn’t all that bad either at 9.1 seconds to 100 km/h (62 mph) and with a combined fuel consumption of 5.8 l/100 km (40.6 mpg). However, that efficiency was never achievable and the new model was aiming to improve exactly that aspect.
Under the bonnet now lies a B38 engine that was developed by BMW alone. Its 1.5-liter 3-cylinder architecture coupled with turbocharging makes 136 HP and 220 Nm (162 lb-ft) of torque. While 16 extra HP might seem too little, the 60 extra Nm (44 lb-ft) make a huge difference.
It also helps that they are available in full from 1,250 RPM, which makes the little Cooper feel like a diesel engine in terms of pulling power. The only trick is that it’s also a fun diesel that really lets you smile and enjoy life behind the wheel.
If you look at the specs on paper, you’ll soon learn that there are other improvements as well. The acceleration to the traditional 100 km/h (62 mph) speed takes 1.2 seconds less now and the fuel consumption should’ve gone down by 1.3 l/100 km, down to 4.5 l/100 km (52.3 mpg) on a combined cycle. Of course, we didn’t get close to those numbers but an improvement was noticed.
As for the way it drives, you really shouldn’t be worried. The new 6-speed gearbox does its job perfectly and the torquey engine makes an excellent sound that is, unfortunately, blocked by the heavy soundproofing. On top of that you also get a rev-matching feature that could come in handy to those that don’t master the heel and toe technique just yet.
Therefore, you really need not worry about the MINI Cooper. BMW managed to keep its essence alive and even with this new engine things are still fun, we dare say even better. To read all about it, head down to our full 2015 MINI Cooper review.
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