2015 Mini New Cars

Mini 5 Door Cooper One – Q1

Mini will seek to bring more young families to the brand by introducing the entry-level 5 Door Cooper One to Australia early in 2015.

As with the rest of the 5 Door range, the 5 Door Cooper One will cost $1100 more than its equivalent three-door, meaning a starting price of $25,600 for the six-speed manual and $28,950 for the six-speed auto (prices before on-road costs) – $2150 cheaper than the regular 5 Door Cooper.

The Cooper One is powered by a 1.2-litre version of the brand’s three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. It produces 75kW of power and 180Nm of torque – down 25kW and 40Nm compared with the Cooper’s larger 1.5-litre.

Compared with the Cooper, the One gets 15-inch steel wheels instead of alloys, black grille bars and mirror caps, and a two-spoke steering wheel with no controls instead of the Cooper’s three-spoke multi-function wheel.

The One also misses out on auto headlights and wipers, reversing sensors, interior LED lighting package, passenger seat height adjustment, front centre armrest with storage compartment, floor mats, and Hazy Grey decorative trim.

Read more about the Mini 5 Door Cooper One.

Mini JCW hatch – Mid 2015

The all-new Mini JCW will become the most powerful model in the iconic British brand’s history when it joins the local line-up around the middle of 2015.

The JCW’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine pumps out 170kW and 320Nm of torque, the latter across a broad 1250-4800rpm range – easily outgunning the old JCW’s 155kW/260Nm 1.6-litre turbo.

Teamed with the optional six-speed auto, the new engine launches the John Cooper Works hot-hatch from 0-100km/h in 6.1 seconds – slashing six-tenths of a second off its predecessor’s sprint benchmark. The six-speed manual is 0.2sec slower at 6.3sec.

Mini Australia national manager Kai Brusewitz told CarAdvice in November the new JCW would cost from around $48,000, undercutting both the old JCW and its closest rival, the $49,900 Audi S1.

Read more about the Mini JCW hatch.

Mini Clubman – Q4

The first additional body style to be spun-off the third-generation Mini Cooper will be one of the brand’s quirkiest creations: the six-door Clubman.

Previewed by the Clubman concept that debuted at the 2014 Geneva motor show, the new Clubman will trade its predecessor’s unconventional right-side suicide door layout for twin rear passenger doors (like those on the Mini 5 Door hatch), while retaining its barn door design for the boot.

At 26cm longer and 16mm wider than the original Clubman, it promises to offer much more room for rear passengers and loads more cargo space behind the second row.

The new Mini Clubman will premiere at September’s Frankfurt motor show and will launch in Australia either very late in 2015 or at the start of 2016.

Read more about the Mini Clubman.