We might have already seen the brand new MINI Cooper S making its debut in Malaysia, however that one is merely a warmed-over model of the outgoing petrol-powered F56. The way forward for the German-owned British model is electrical, a degree it made crystal clear with the revealing of an all-new, all-electric MINI Cooper final yr.
Set to be launched in Malaysia this weekend, the J01 is a brand new MINI Hatch for a brand new period. Developed in partnership with GWM and constructed at a brand new plant in Zhangjiagang, China, it hides loads of brand-first improvements beneath its recognisably retro design.
Even the stated design has been comprehensively revamped, with extra minimalist styling that may be a welcome change from the automotive’s more and more overwrought predecessors. As an illustration, you now not get a clamshell bonnet, entrance fender “scuttles”, chrome highlights and black plastic wheel arches – as a substitute, you get customisable daytime working lights throughout the trademark round headlights and matrix LED taillights with three totally different lighting patterns to select from.
A fair greater sea change may be discovered on the within, the place the MINI Hatch’s numerous shows and toggle switches have been consolidated right into a hanging 9.4-inch OLED round touchscreen, working on the most recent Android-based MINI Working System 9. Swathes of material trim, heat metallic gold highlights and funky sample projectors behind the centre display add to the inside’s funky new-age aesthetic.
The earlier MINI Cooper SE might have been hamstrung by its petrol-powered structure, with barely sufficient vary to get out of town, however this newest mannequin could be very totally different. The highest-of-the-line SE you see right here comes with a 54.2kWh that delivers almost double the vary at as much as 402 km on the WLTP cycle. That’s regardless of it having fairly a bit extra energy – its single entrance motor produces 218 PS (160 kW) and 330 Nm of torque, getting it from zero to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds.
So, the brand new MINI Cooper has extra vary and extra tech, however has the wholesale transfer to electrical propulsion come at the price of Oxford’s renown go kart-like driving dynamics? That’s what Hafriz Shah endeavoured to seek out out by testing the automotive in Sitges, Spain, and you may watch his evaluation under.
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