The legend of the Mini has been around for quite some time now. But it is only in 2012 that BMW have finally brought this iconic brand to India. The Mini range of vehicles was unveiled at the 2012 Auto Expo and the most affordable of the lot will be the Mini Cooper at Rs 24.9 lakh ex-showroom Delhi.
The Mini Cooper is one the most desirable hatchbacks in the world and its legendary status has helped BMW achieve great success with the brand in spite of the new Mini having hardly anything in common with the one manufactured by the British Motor Corporation. It was in 1998 that BMW set about designing the new Mini and the first production model rolled out in 2001, which was much bigger as compared to the earlier model. But people still lapped it up. The first BMW Mini Cooper went on sale in 2002 and the one that is now available in India was introduced in 2007.
The distinctive design doesn’t need any introducing. It has adorned walls for many years. In terms of specifications the Mini Cooper will only have a petrol engine. It produces 122PS of power at 6000rpm and 160Nm of torque at 4250rpm. In India it will be mated to a six speed automatic transmission. It goes from 0-100kmph in 10.4 seconds and has a top speed of 196kmph. BMW claim that it will return an overall fuel efficiency of around 18kmpl. But we will have the exact figures only after we test it. It has a 40-litre tank. In terms of boot space the minimum is 160 litres and a maximum of 680 litres, which can be achieved by folding the rear seats.
At Rs 24.90 lakh the Mini Cooper is priced quite high and becomes one of the most expensive hatchbacks in India. Its competition the Fiat 500 costs Rs 14.82, ex-showroom Delhi and the Volkswagen Beetle costs Rs 20.45lakh. The high price for the Mini Cooper is because they will be brought in as CBUs but so are the Fiat 500 and the Beetle. It’s premium clientele that BMW is targeting and in order to cater to them they have decided that the Mini range will be sold through standalone dealerships across the country. Will people pay the extra premium to own a legend? Considering the Indian penchant for status symbols and the availability of dispensable cash it definitely looks likely. And if there is a little more cash available you can also go for the Mini Cooper S, which is available at Rs. 27.90 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi.
