MINI has a problem. It’s a problem Porsche faced and overcame, and now Mini is beginning to do the same. If survival depends on diversity beyond historical constraints – and no brand of decent size can survive on a single model – then how do you diversify when history limits you?
The constraints on this iconic British brand are even stronger than those broken by Porsche. Mini, by its very definition, can only produce small cars; the smaller the better. Cars like the Countryman, and now the Paceman, push the boundaries of what can acceptably be called a Mini.
The Mini Paceman is really starting to push the friendship. For starters, the Paceman name has no roots, and the car itself is basically a Countryman with two fewer doors – and two grand more expensive.
The Paceman shares both its 1.6-litre petrol fours – 135kW turbo in the Cooper S and 90kW non-turbo in the Cooper – and its six-speed manual and automatic transmissions with most of its six brothers. There will be no diesel Paceman, at least initially; nor a four-wheel-drive option.
The 1.6-litre turbo I drove is the range sweetie, with the herbs to deliver on Mini’s trademark sportiness. It’s good at low revs, better at high revs and swings eagerly to the limiter. Mini claims 0-100km/h in 7.5 seconds, which isn’t blistering, but in-gear acceleration feels stronger than that number suggests.
Importantly, the Paceman is practical by Mini standards, and more Mini to drive than the Countryman. Decrying the Paceman as one derivative too far is short-sighted. Equally, dismissing it as a two-door Countryman is unfair. It’s a more enjoyable drive than the Countryman, and more liveable than the hatch.
Is it a true Mini? No, not if you live in the past. Yes if you want more Minis in the future.
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