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First Drive: MINI Cooper SD Coupé. Image by MINI.

First Drive: MINI Cooper SD Coupé
A rather unlikely looking addition to the family, the MINI Coupé is surprisingly practical and fun to drive.

   



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| First Drive | Munich, Germany | MINI Cooper SD Coupé |

Overall rating: 3 3 3 3 3

While it might initially appear to be an unnecessary addition to the MINI line-up, it actually makes a lot of sense, is surprisingly practical and a real hoot to drive. But, as good as the diesel engine is, the SD doesn't feel like the sports car it wants to be and the styling will prove too challenging for some.

Key Facts

Model tested: MINI Cooper SD Coupé
Pricing: £20,510
Engine: 2.0-litre single turbo four-cylinder diesel
Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Body style: Two-door coupé
Rivals: Peugeot RCZ, Volkswagen Scirocco, Audi TT
CO2 emissions: 114g/km
Combined economy: 65.7mpg
Top speed: 134mph
0-62mph: 7.9 seconds
Power: 143bhp at 4,000rpm
Torque: 225lb.ft from 1,750 - 2,700rpm

In the Metal: 3 3 3 3 3

The MINI Coupé is not easy on the eye, and that's being polite. But it's not especially photogenic either, and as a result it looks significantly better in person than it does in photos. It's the first MINI with a three-box design, the inspiration for the car coming from the coupé kit cars for the original Mini, and it's certainly striking. The "helmet" roof is available in three different colours and is, apparently, like a backwards baseball cap, while the rear features a stepped design, the short horizontal section between glass and boot edge housing the active rear spoiler. The windscreen is raked back 13 degrees further than on the hatch. It's not conventional, but it's certainly a grower.

The interior is, however, far more familiar and generally speaking it's pretty standard MINI fare, meaning a big speedo, round air vents and toggle switches abound, and it all feels very nice. There's plenty of room and the roof features a recessed section above each seat, offering enough headroom for even the tallest, hat-wearing occupants. Removing the rear seats means that the boot is now a useful size (280 litres) - unlike the Hatch's tiny cubbyhole - and a flip down ski-hatch further boosts practicality allowing you to carry items up to 1.7 metres in length. An added bonus is a small shelf area directly behind the seats that's big enough to be useful and lets you stow bags, coats and other bits and pieces safely and keep them within easy reach.

Driving it: 4 4 4 4 4

While the styling may be the MINI Coupé's biggest weakness, here at least we come to its greatest strength. MINI's suspension and chassis engineers have really put in the time and effort to ensure that the Coupé delivers when it comes to the driving experience. The MINI Coupé enjoys a bespoke suspension set up and as a result it feels even more involving and fun to drive than the hatch, which is no mean feat.

The driving position is excellent, with plenty of adjustment available, and the controls are all nicely weighted, erring on the side of lightness. The electronic power steering is almost imperceptible in its operation, aside from a tiny bit of artificiality to the way it weights up as you move off the straight-ahead, but otherwise it offers plenty of feel and feedback and the Coupé feel alert and reacts keenly to your inputs.

The SD engine is excellent, with bags of torque offering up a mighty mid range, and while it does run out of puff towards the top of the rev counter, the generous spread of torque lower down more than makes up for it. But, while the SD offers an impressive blend of performance and economy, it just doesn't deliver the thrills you'd expect from a car like this and the resulting package falls short on the excitement front.

What you get for your Money: 4 4 4 4 4

At £20,510, the Cooper SD Coupé represents good value for money, especially compared to its rivals, undercutting the Peugeot RCZ by over £2,500 and the VW Scirocco by over £3,000, whilst being quicker and more economical than both of them. Standard equipment includes air conditioning, rear parking sensors, sport seats, electric mirrors and a CD player. Options include adaptive xenon headlights, a multifunction steering wheel, Harman Kardon hi-fi and the satnav.

Worth Noting

The inspiration for the MINI Coupé came from numerous Mini coupé kit cars that were available for the original car, such as the Broadspeed GT. We've also got a Roadster to look forward to, and judging by the roof-down pictures we've seen this is going to be decidedly easier on the eye than the Coupé. MINI has also confirmed that it will be building the Paceman, though it remains tight-lipped about when we can expect it.

Summary

Get over, or get on with, the styling and you'll find the MINI Coupé to be a fun and practical companion. It's spacious for both people and luggage and it's great fun to drive, but sadly the SD's engine can't deliver the thrills that the chassis is crying out for. It's fast and frugal, and undoubtedly the rational choice, but the MINI Coupé isn't a sensible car and it deserves a less sensible engine.


Sebastian De Latour - 5 Sep 2011



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2011 MINI Cooper SD Coupé. Image by Max Earey.2011 MINI Cooper SD Coupé. Image by Max Earey.2011 MINI Cooper SD Coupé. Image by Max Earey.2011 MINI Cooper SD Coupé. Image by Max Earey.2011 MINI Cooper SD Coupé. Image by Max Earey.

2011 MINI Cooper SD Coupé. Image by Max Earey.2011 MINI Cooper SD Coupé. Image by Max Earey.2011 MINI Cooper SD Coupé. Image by Max Earey.2011 MINI Cooper SD Coupé. Image by Max Earey.2011 MINI Cooper SD Coupé. Image by Max Earey.



2011 MINI Cooper SD Coupé. Image by MINI.
 

2011 MINI Cooper SD Coupé. Image by MINI.
 

2011 MINI Cooper SD Coupé. Image by MINI.
 

2011 MINI Cooper SD Coupé. Image by MINI.
 

2011 MINI Cooper SD Coupé. Image by MINI.
 

2011 MINI Cooper SD Coupé. Image by MINI.
 

2011 MINI Cooper SD Coupé. Image by MINI.
 

2011 MINI Cooper SD Coupé. Image by MINI.
 

2011 MINI Cooper SD Coupé. Image by MINI.
 






 

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