The Mini Cooper S has been launched in India priced at Rs 34.65 lakh (ex-showroom, India). Mini had launched both the three-door and five-door versions of the Cooper diesel last year.

The car is powered by a new 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, twin turbo engine that develops 189bhp and 30.6kgm of torque. This enables it to sprint from 0-100kph in a claimed 6.7 seconds, while going on to a claimed top speed of 233kph. Power is sent to the front wheel via a six-speed automatic gearbox. The Mini Cooper S also comes with a start-stop function along with three driving modes named as Green, Sport and MID. Mechanically, the third-gen car sits on BMW's new UKL front-wheel drive platform (which will also be used on the next-gen BMW 1-series); it gets a new front suspension and also, a revised rear suspension set-up.  

Visually, the Cooper S is similar, both inside and out, to the Cooper D. The nose is bulbous and more prominent than before, while on the inside it is the same retro feel that is always associated with Minis. The centre speedometer has been replaced by the all-new Mini Central Display – available in both 6.5-inch and 8.8-inch versions – which shows car information and entertainment. The car will be available in 11 exterior shades.

The Mini Cooper S is being sold in India as a CBU, which is also why the pricing is somewhat on the steeper side. But for the money, what you get is one of the fastest hatchbacks in the Indian market that promises to be a hoot to drive, owing to its go kart-like dynamics.

Speaking at the launch in Pune, Philipp von Sahr, president, BMW Group India, said: “The new Mini Cooper S is furiously fun and ready to dominate the Indian streets like never before.”

At present, the Mini model range in India includes the Cooper S 3-door, Cooper D 3-door, Cooper D 5-door, Convertible and Countryman D. Mini has four outlets in India – Bird Automotive (Delhi), Infinity Cars (Mumbai), Navnit Motors (Bangalore) and KUN Exclusive (Hyderabad).