New Mini Cooper S priced at Rs 44.90 lakh

Mini has launched the all-new Cooper S hatchback in India at a starting price of Rs. 44.90 lakh ex-showroom. This fourth-generation model is the final combustion-engine iteration of the iconic hatch, which still retains the design ethos of the 1959 original. The new Cooper S has arrived in India in its 3-door form, although globally, there’s also a 5-door version; an all-electric Cooper S will join the lineup later this year. Deleveries of the new Cooper S will begin in September this year along with the Countryman Electric. 

The new Cooper S builds on Mini’s trademark design themes with circular headlights – but sans bezels – and a new octagonal front grille that is larger. The exterior is free of chrome, the wheel arches get a generous dose of plastic cladding, and the bulging front and rear fenders remain as iconic as ever. The tail-lights have been completely redesigned with a new triangular shape and are connected by a black plastic band on the tail gate.

The glasshouse hasn’t changed much, and thanks to the blacked-out pillars, the roof gets a floating effect. In a marked departure from its predecessor, the car gets a much cleaner front and rear bumper that’s devoid of fog lamps or gaping air intakes. 

The interior takes a very minimalistic approach by eliminating the instrument cluster. The AC vents are neatly integrated into the dashboard, and the cluttered stack of physical controls on the centre console has been replaced by a single band of toggle controls.

The highlight here is, of course, a new 9.4-inch round OLED touchscreen, where a bulk of all car-related settings are crammed in, including the HVAC controls. It runs Mini’s latest Android-based operating system developed along with Samsung. The previous Cooper, too, had a circular infotainment housing, but the screen was a traditional landscape unit. There are also plenty of textured surfaces all around the cabin that add a flair to its character.

The platform underpinning the new Cooper S is a heavily updated version of the outgoing model. Under the hood, the hatchback continues with a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, but outputs have been bumped up to 204hp and 300Nm from 178hp and 280Nm. The engine comes mated only to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, sending drive to the front wheels; there are no paddle shifters for manual control. Mini claims a 0-100kph sprint time of 6.6 seconds.

Being a 2-door premium hatchback, the Cooper S has no direct rivals in India, but it will be joined by its electric sibling later this year. The Cooper electric is completely unrelated to this petrol iteration and is instead based on a born-electric platform.