Mini 5 Door Cooper One : $25,600 base model here in early 2015

Mini Australia national manager Kai Bruesewitz confirmed plans for the addition of the base variant at the launch of the new 5 Door hatch range in Adelaide this week.

“We want to appeal to younger families and we want to be affordable, so the Mini One will help with that,” Bruesewitz told CarAdvice.

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 optional six-speed automatic.

The Cooper One will lower the price of entry to the 5 Door range by $2150, with the current base model, the Cooper, starting at $27,750.

The local boss said “there won’t be any surprises in specifications differences” between the regular hatch and 5 Door versions, meaning the two will be identically equipped.

The Cooper One is powered by a 1.2-litre version of the brand’s new 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.

The reduced power doesn’t have the anticipated effect on fuel consumption, however, with the smaller engine in the One marginally thirstier than the standard Cooper. The 5 Door Cooper One should use approximately 5.1 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle with either transmission.

The One is also more than two seconds slower from 0-100km/h than the Cooper, taking about 10 seconds to hit triple figures from rest.

Compared with the Cooper, the Mini 5 Door Cooper 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.

Bruesewitz told CarAdvice he “absolutely” expects Australians to shop the larger and more practical Mini 5 Door against more traditional and conservative small cars such as the Volkswagen Golf and Mazda 3, with the Cooper One’s sub-$26,000 price tag intended to bring new customers into showrooms.