By : TEAM TOS
MUMBAI :
MINI, the BMW Group-owned British brand, retails some of the most exotic and exhilarating cars in the entire auto industry. As far as the Indian car market is concerned, the MINI Cooper has been the brand’s bread-and-butter product for several years. Having said that, it has introduced the fifth-gen Cooper S in India, which also appears to be its last model with a petrol engine as MINI has already announced that its future line-up will only have all-electric cars. Here’s a detailed look at the MINI Cooper S’ features, design highlights, and engine specs.
The 2024 MINI Cooper S has been launched in a single fully-loaded variant and will be sold as a CBU unit. Since the Cooper S belongs to a niche segment, it has no direct competitors in the Indian market. Earlier, VW Beetle was a worthy contender but since it has been withdrawn from the Indian car market by the brand, the 3-door hatch, will rule the roost here.
The fifth-gen Cooper S retains the signature MINI styling elements at the front. It flaunts classic circular LED headlamps with DRLs, albeit without bezels. The new octagonal front grille has grown in size. Surprisingly, MINI has not used chrome anywhere in the exterior of the Cooper S. However, the bumper misses out on fog lamp units and air intakes. Coming to the side profile, the 2024 Cooper S boasts of plastic cladding around the wheel arches with the front and rear fenders still firm in their place. The rear profile gets the majority of the updates with a new triangular matrix tail-lamp cluster which is integrated into the tailgate via a black-colored plastic band. The roof features a floating effect, as always and the doors get frameless windows.
Enter the cabin and you’ll notice that the instrument cluster has disappeared from the hatch. The AC vents are integrated in the dash and the physical control switches on the center console have been replaced by the toggle controls. Some of the notable features on-board are MINI Operating System 9, MINI Intelligent Personal Assistant, MINI Digital Key Plus, Head-up Display, Fisheye Camera, Harman Kardon Surround Sound System, Cruise Control, Wireless Charger, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, MINI Experience Modes, Panoramic Glass Roof, and Electric Seat Adjustment with Active Seat. However, it is the 9.4-inch circular OLED touchscreen infotainment system that steals all the limelight on account of its stunning appearance.
The latest iteration of the hatch has been powered by the same 4-cylinder, 2.0L, twin-turbo petrol engine which belts out top power of 201 bhp @ 5,000-6,500 rpm and peak torque of 300 Nm @ 1,450-4,500 rpm. The engine is paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch steptronic automatic transmission. The 2024 Cooper S sprints to 100kmph from standstill in a mere 6.6 secs before topping out at 242kmph. The fifth-gen Cooper S misses out on paddle shifters though.
In terms of safety features, it is equipped with 6-Airbags, Brake Assist, Dynamic Stability Control, Crash Sensor, Anti-lock Braking System, Cornering Brake Control and a Rear View Camera.
The 2024 MINI Cooper S will be available in 9 paint schemes namely Melting Silver, Midnight Black, Nanuq White, British Racing Green, Chill Red II, Indigo Sunset Blue, Blazing Blue, Smokey Green and Slate Blue. Also on offer are 17-inch grey-colored alloy wheels and 19-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, so take your pick.
The MINI Cooper S has been launched at a sticker price of INR 44.90 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The deliveries of the fifth-gen MINI Cooper S deliveries will begin from September 2024.
