The new MINI range set to hit the showrooms in August will take the car brand to 99g/km of CO2 for the first time.
This summer the BMW group-owned carmaker will give its range a refreshed design and introduce two new diesel engines that will take its cars to sub-100g/km CO2. The carmaker will also introduce a diesel engine option on the MINI Convertible for the first time.
The new engines are introduced shortly after the carmaker released new, more economical petrol engines back in March.
The new 1.6 litre, four cylinder diesel engines benefit from BMW know-how on making efficient engines. They share the efficient bore/stroke ratio of BMW’s two litre units and are constructed from lightweight aluminium. Using common rail direct injection and a turbocharger with variable turbine geometry, the new engines are super-efficient. As a result both the MINI One D and MINI Cooper D achieve the same low fuel consumption of 74.3 mpg and CO2 emissions of 99 g/km.
Efficiency doesn’t mean the new MINIs compromise on fun however, the Cooper D Hatch accelerates from zero to 62 mph in 9.7 seconds and goes on to a top speed of 123mph. Huge torque of 270 Nm is available from 1,750 rpm ensuring that it is always ready to harness the engine’s power. The less powerful MINI One D Hatch (90hp as compared to the Cooper D’s 112) has a torque value of 215Nm available from the same low engine rev range but still reaches 62mph in 11.4 seconds and hits a top speed of 115 mph.
In addition to the high efficiency of the new diesel engine, they employ fuel-saving and emission-lowering technology including Brake Energy Regeneration, Auto Start-Stop, Gearshift Indicator, Electromechanical Power Steering and demand-controlled auxiliary units such as the alternator. All of these technologies and the standard six-speed manual gearbox play a role as it ekes the most out of every drop of fuel while also minimising the tailpipe emissions.
Using the same 112hp engine as the Hatch, the new Convertible accelerates to 62mph in just 10.3 seconds and can reach a top speed of 121mph. Despite this performance potential, the MINI Cooper D Convertible sips diesel fuel at a parsimonious 70 mpg and emits just 105g/km of CO², the lowest emitting and most economical ‘full’ convertible vehicle on the UK market today.
Prices for the new models are expected to be announced in a few days.
