Mini Hatchback Tested August 2010

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Environment Rating The Mini is one of the cleanest cars in its segment, with the impressive diesel engine heading below 100g/km. The petrols are all competitive but not class leading, and will make up the bulk of sales hence the less than perfect score Overall Rating Recommended. The mid-life facelift does little to change the Mini's looks, but it does improve the diesel engines and add some equipment.

Summary

When Mini brought out the second generation of its small hatchback in 2006, casual observers were hard pushed to see what had changed from the original version of the BMW-made supermini.

This mid-life facelift doesn't advance the car's styling much further either. There are subtle changes to the grille, bumpers and light clusters, but even with pre and post-facelift models next to one another it is hard to see the difference.

However, things have changed under the skin. The diesel engines are the biggest beneficiaries of the mid-life refresh. CO2 emissions have now been dropped to below 100g/km for the hatchback model, with the Clubman and Cabriolet versions not far behind. The petrols remain unchanged, with five power options on offer, starting with the Mini First and heading up to the flagship John Cooper Works.

The facelift doesn't alter the dimensions of the cars, so the hatchback remains a relatively impractical car for any more than two adults. It is possible to squeeze a passenger in the rear, but not without compromising front footwell space. The Clubman offers fractionally more room, but is by no means a practical estate as its chunkier image might imply. The facelift leaves the rear-hinged half door that provides access to the back seats on the right hand side, so still the wrong side for access from UK pavements. The boot is accessed by a pair of cupboard-style doors that provide easy access to the storage space but compromise the rear visibility thanks to the black line down the centre that door connection brings.

The Cabriolet is even more compromised in terms of practicality, with access to a small boot through a small letter-box style opening. However, no-one is really going to choose any of the Mini range for practicality, and thankfully the driving experience makes up for this deficiency.

It is tricky to get the Mini to slide around when driving enthusiastically, as it is so fantastically well glued to the road. Part of this is due to a slightly firm suspension setup, which is not aided by the large wheels that seem to come with most Minis. A 16-inch alloy is large for a car this small, and a smaller option would help smooth the ride out.

The Clubman and the hatch are equally good to drive, with the steering fantastically responsive in all three of the models. The Convertible only loses out because of the less rigid setup that removing the roof from a car necessitates. It rattles when faced with potholes and imperfect road surfaces so is more suited to posing than enthusiastic driving.

One more addition as a result of the facelift is the smart phone docking station that allows you to listen to digital radio through the car. However, at the moment it only works with Apple's iPhone, and it spent most of the time during testing either searching for a station or proclaiming it wasn't available. With more development this could be a handy piece of kit, but at the moment it is not worth the extra investment.