Diesel is so slick in a MINI

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), Sept 14, 2007

Byline: By ROGER MILLS

THEY are two words that you wouldn't expect to sit very comfortably together.

Cooper and diesel, a bit like chalk and cheese perhaps.

That would be to do the MINI Cooper Dagreat disservice however, because this is an oil-burner worthy of being associated with the iconic Cooper name and a vast improvement on the sluggish 1.4 unit it replaced.

Launched during the spring, this second generation model looks identical to the petrol version and sports only very minor changes from its predecessor.

There are updated light clusters and a slightly higher bonnet, otherwise the same funky style that has made the Oxford-built MINI range so successful remains virtually untouched.

And that means those neat retro features like the dinner plate size speedo, toggle switches on the fascia and body-hugging sports seats remain, though on the negative side the sound system is fiddly to operate and the indicator action is twitchy and oversensitive.

That said the front seats on the new generation of MINIs have been redesigned to do away with the clumsy folding mechanism that hampered the original.

The Cooper D uses a 1.6-litre engine developed by the French car maker PSA, the company behind Peugeot and Citroen, and it offers the sort of punch you might not expect from a diesel, coupled with average fuel consumption of a claimed 64mpg.

Top speed is a claimed 121mph and 0-62mph acceleration in just under 10 seconds and thanks to an over boost facility, this 110bhp turbo diesel can generate as much power as the flagship Cooper S.

Transmission is via a six-speed manual gearbox making for effortless cruising in high gears, but drop it down a notch or two and the power delivery is instant.

Passengers may feel the stiff ride quality but the trade-off is fantastic handling, making the front-wheel drive Cooper feel like a go-kart. It's that responsive .

The diesel's attraction is not confined to performance either with low CO2 exhaust emissions of 118g/km putting it in Band B when it comes to road tax, or pounds 35 a year for the private buyer.

Where the Cooper D, like other MINIs, fails to impress is with its rear seating - too tight even for young children if the driver's seat is slid back, the boot is tiny and there's also a dearth of cabin storage.

Still, this is such a good car that you can live with the odd inconvenience.

As is the case with all MINIs, you can personalise the Cooper D with countless extras which can add considerably to the price, something that has never daunted buyers.

For instance this particular model was fitted with what MINI calls the Chili Pack that brings in, among other extras, light alloy wheels, air-con, cloth/leather upholstery, on-board computer, front fog lights and passenger seat height adjustment - all for a princely pounds 1,995.

Facts and Figures

Make: MINI

Model: Cooper D 3dr

Price: pounds 14,190

Mechanical: 110bhp, 1,560cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 6spd manual gearbox

Max speed: 121mph 0-62mph: 9.9 seconds

Combined mpg: 64.2

Insurance group: 8

CO2 emissions:118g/km

BiK rating: 18%

Warranty: 3 years/ 60,000 miles, 6 years anti-rust

CAPTION(S):

NIPPY - the Cooper feels like a go-kart, so responsive