What is it?

Don't be fooled - this is the latest new 'new' Mini. For those of you who didn't notice, the first generation model (and we're not counting the Issigonis-designed original here) was redesigned at the end of last year. This is a completely different car, all the visible panels are new, it just looks almost identical to the old one. The engines are brand spanking too - so far we've driven, and been impressed by, the all-new 1.6 litre Cooper and the 1.6 litre turbo Cooper S. But now, and for the first time ever, a diesel engine has been added to the Cooper line-up.
The headline-grabber must be that this 1.6 litre Mini Cooper diesel is the cleanest car the BMW group has ever built, producing only 118g/km of carbon dioxide emissions and flaunting a manufacturer-claimed 64mpg combined fuel economy figure. On top of being greener than all of its rivals, 118g puts the Cooper D in the ultra-low band B for road tax (it costs £35 a year) and will offer a wallet-friendly ownership proposition for company car drivers, too.
We'll come to whether this diesel deserves the Cooper performance moniker later, but according to the numbers it shouldn't feel sluggish to drive. The 1.6 litre turbocharged engine produces 108bhp and, perhaps more importantly, 177 lb ft of mid-range torque with 191 lb ft temporarily available on overboost. Major changes from the first-generation Cooper include a revised suspension set-up with a sophisticated central-arm rear axle designed to improve handling, six speed manual gears for all models, better brakes and a redesigned interior which is meant to offer more space. Although there was an unpopular Mini One diesel last time around, performance oil burners are new territory for Mini. On paper, though, this is a real chance for the company to outpoint its rivals...

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