SUPERSIZE ME(some text hidden)

By Jonathan Crouch

Ten Second Review word count: 30

Fresh technology, smarter connectivity and sharper looks are amongst the highlight changes made to this revised MINI 3-Door Hatch model. If you liked it before, you'll really like it now.

Background word count: 205

For a car that's been so successful, the modernday MINI seems to have nevertheless disgruntled quite a few people. "Look at the size of it," snort its detractors. "That's no Mini. It's a front-wheel drive BMW in disguise," they scoff. They might well have a point and if you're to embrace and enjoy the current day 3-Door hatch version of this MINI, it's best you think of it as a car completely different to the original, merely cribbing some of its design cues. That's because the modern era MINI has grown, since it was re-launched at the turn of the century and even more since this MK3 model was first introduced in 2014. That it now measures 3821mm in length and it's 1727mm wide which will have some up in arms, but let's keep a sense of proportion. It's still shorter than a 1990s Ford Fiesta, a vehicle hardly recognised as a leviathan amongst cars. The key themes in developing this current car have been to retain the look while improving quality, refinement and efficiency. Some smart technology has crept in which is sure to be popular. Although it looks much the same, be under no illusions: this latest model is a massively improved vehicle.

Driving Experience word count: 188

The key update with this most recently revised model is that it's now possible to order it with adaptive damping - an important option given this car's go-kart-like firm ride, especially with larger wheels. Otherwise, it's as you were, all based on a chassis that's BMW's clever UKL1 platform, which also underpins a number of front-wheel drive BMW models. The base model is now the Cooper, where an uprated version of the brand's familiar 1.5-litre petrol unit offers an eager 136hp, gets you to 62mph in 8.3s and arguably represents the sweet spot in the range. You can't now have a six-speed manual gearbox, so the seven-speed Steptronic automatic is mandatory. Then there's the Cooper S, with a 2.0-litre petrol engine putting out a useful 178hp, a lot of poke for something so small, with 62mph just 6.7s away. The flagship option in the mainstream range is the 231hp John Cooper Works variant. In recent times, the brand says that minor changes have been made to its TwinPower Turbo Technology across the board, improving engine electronics, oil supply, intake air ducting, the cooling set-up and the exhaust system.