MINI Cooper SD Heading to Geneva?

When they first started to make a name for themselves, diesel engines had to struggle with their bad reputation as being noisy and lackluster. However, current generation units are proving just as good as their petrol counterparts and also deliver better economy. MINI must have had this very mix of performance and economy in mind when they thought up the Cooper SD range. Rumors had been circulating the Internet that a new performance diesel MINI was to arrive this spring. Now, MotoringFile has “semi-official proof” that the new Cooper SD is heading for the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. They also suggest that the car brand will start to drum up interest through online add campaigns sometime next month. So what kind of figures can we expect from cars wearing the SD badge, a combination of the S top-spec petrol performance model and the D from the diesel range? According to the same source, it will have a 2.0-liter turbodiesel unit with 143 hp pulled from the BMW range. We’re talking about the same engine found under the bonnet of the 118d or 318d. No torque figures were announced, but they are rumored to be as high as 225 lb-ft or 305 Nm. MotoringFile says this could be the torquiest MINI ever (even more than the JCW on overboost), but it should also deliver 65 mpg (3.6 l/100km) on the EU cycle. Both figures sound very impressive, so we would expect the model to use a few interesting fuel saving technologies. After Geneva, the model will go on sale in March on the European market. autoevolution will be attending the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, so stay tuned for some real up close and personal shots of the vehicles, as well as for first-hand details of the motorized contraptions presented at the event.