A heritage under threat?
From being a sole model devised by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) in 1959, to becoming a standalone marque made up of a variety of derivatives since being bought by BMW, the creation of Alec Issigonis has remained a seemingly unbreakable force in spite of a few questionable additions such as the Paceman and the controversial Clubman estate.
More recently though, reports have emerged that the automaker could potentially kill-off off the traditional three-door hatch for the all-new next generation due in 2022, leaving the five-door and cabriolet as only non-crossover models in the range.
This, together with the fact the five-door, in this writer’s opinion, flies in the face of what a Mini should be i.e. a three-door equipped with a manual gearbox, were only a few of the stigmas that had to be resolved when an Emerald Grey Cooper S, decked-out in a number of optional John Cooper Works trim pieces and with an automatic gearbox, arrived for the weeklong stay.
Maxi-mini sized problem
The recipient of a mid-life update in January, the most attainable sporty Mini differs only slightly from its predecessor, with new external additions being the revised headlights surrounded by daytime running LEDs, a modern take on the iconic Mini logo and the perhaps the most cheeky, Union Jack-inspired taillights.
As small and indeed welcome as these changes are, they don’t detract from the fact that the five-door still looks somewhat odd when parked next to the three-door, with the rear doors, which are smaller than the fronts, looking like an afterthought, while the overall profile is hampered by the extended length that makes it look more like a grown-up hatch than a fun-promising hooligan.
Can retro be modern?
Inside, the interior is once again a love/ hate affair with its modern take on a retro layout, highlighted by the circular central display that houses the optional 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with satellite navigation, Bluetooth, USB and Apple CarPlay.
Essentially a tweaked iDrive system as indicated by the rotary dial located behind the redesigned gear lever, the setup takes a few moment to master, but is intuitive enough, although the buttons located within the dial are small and somewhat of a pain to use as opposed to simply scrolling through the various settings using the controller.
Of course, faulting the Mini for quality is more difficult with premium plastics used throughout, combined with a good helping of piano key black inlays, the very sporty JCW steering wheel with its red stitching and the extremely comfortable leather-trimmed optional JCW sport seats.
The problem with being long
While the Mini literally contradicts its name when seated up front, it certainly lives up to it at the rear, where the extra length has done virtually nothing to provide what could be considered as adequate rear legroom for adults. Not helping are those rear doors, while the addition of a panoramic roof in combination with the glass sunroof rendered any forms of decent headroom for passengers obsolete.
Drivetrain that changes everything
What the five-door however delivers is deception the moment you flick the pulsating red starter switch. Although Mini has kept the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine unchanged with outputs of 141kW/280Nm, it has done away with the old six-speed ‘box in place of a brand-new seven-speed dual-clutch.
As infuriating as this may seem on paper for ardent Mini supporters, it is a combination that works to incredible effect, with the ‘box with quick and seldom caught off guard in everyday situations, while the engine is lively and eager to get on even if you are not.
Still go-kart at heart
In this mode and with the gear lever clicked into Sport mode while using the steering wheel-mounted paddles, the Cooper S no longer feels like a lardy five-door hatch, and instead retains the chuckable handling attributes of the three-door, together with razor-sharp steering, a firm but not overly hard ride and a smile-inducing cocktail of pops, bangs and turbo whistles that makes it feel faster than its claimed top speed of 232km/h in 0-100km/h in 6.8 seconds.
Verdict
Although the standard three-door Cooper S will remain the quintessential fast Mini for many, the five-door shows it has not lost the spirit of its sibling despite its awkward looks. At R463 080 minus options, the five-door Cooper S automatic is just over R10 000 more than the equivalent three-door, and rates as a must if you absolutely want a bigger Mini that is not an SUV.
