MINI Cooper S and JCW 3 Door launched in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: MINI hatch facelift has been officially launched in Malaysia. While the trendy 3 Door and 5 Door are now available in Cooper S form, the 3 Door gets a powerful variant in form of John Cooper Works (JCW).

Majority of the changes have been done under the hood, it now gets a new 2.0-litre petrol engine with turbocharger sourced from BMW. The components like exhaust, air inlet ducting, oil supply, cooling mechanism, engine electronics, and turbocharger have been upgraded for better output and performance.

The engine cover is made up of carbon fibre that makes the car 13 per cent lighter than the previous version. Now, the fuel delivery is made at higher pressure with the upgraded direct injection system. The turbo fins are now more resistant to heat than before.

As a result, the fuel efficiency is increased by 5 per cent on the Cooper S (3 Door and 5 Door) without affecting the performance, churns out the same max power of 195 PS and peak torque of 280 Nm as before, with fuel economy rated at 18.18 kmpl and 17.85 kmpl for the 3 Door and 5 Door respectively. The JCW produces 234 PS of peak power and 320 Nm of torque, with fuel economy rated at 16.6 kmpl.

The Cooper S gets a new 7-speed wet dual-clutch gearbox replacing the older 6-speed automatic transmission system. As said, it is smoother than before and provides quicker gear shifts. The JCW, on the other hand, gets an 8-speed automatic torque converter.

While the 3 Door sprints from 0-100 kmph in 6.7 seconds, the 5 Door achieves the same feat in 6.8 seconds. Both sport the same top speed of 235 kmph. The JCW, on the other hand, goes from 0 to 100 kmph in 6.1 seconds before attaining its top speed of 246 kmph.

On the outside, there isn’t much to show off except the Union Jack full-LED tail lights. They add sparkle to the car’s rear profile. At the front, the bi-LED headlamps remain same as before, however, the redesigned LED DRLs form a ring around the projectors that also work as indicators. The MINI logo has gone flatter too. While the 3 Door gets 17-inch Cosmos Spoke alloys, the 5 Door rides on the JCW Track Spoke wheels, both being dipped in black.

The Cooper S 5 Door gets a JCW aerodynamic kit that makes it more aggressive and sportier. It benefits from the bold front bumper design, bigger and prominent air intake, redesigned side skirts, bigger tailgate spoiler, and a dominating rear diffuser. The JCW, in addition to getting the same design cues as the 5 Door, gets an even bigger rear spoiler, piano black exterior garnish instead of chrome and the 18-inch JCW Cup Spoke alloy wheels. Additionally, the suspension assembly with adaptive dampers has been re-tuned for better comfort.

The exteriors are covered in standard paints like Chilli Red and Pepper White, while the Cooper S gets additional shades in form of new Starlight Blue, British Racing Green, and White Silver. The Emerald Grey is exclusive for the 5 Door, while the new Solaris Orange and Thunder Grey are offered with the 3 Door. The JCW, on the other hand, gets Midnight Black and Rebel Green as its exclusive shades.

Inside, both the Cooper 3 Door and the 5 Door get Cross Punch Carbon Black leather seats and upholstery. While the former receives the new MINI Yours Illuminated Cockpit with 12 colours and Union Jack graphics on trim panels and the latter, on the other hand, is blessed with Black chequered trim. For entertainment, both models come equipped with a MINI Visual Boost infotainment system with a 6.5-inch touchscreen. The 5 Door also gets a head-up display, Qi wireless smartphone charging port and a Harman Kardon audio system with 12 speakers.

The seats on the JCW variant are sportier than on the other two, with Carbon Black leather and Dinamica microfibre. Additionally, it gets stainless steel pedals and Glowing Red trim garnish. It also benefits from the MINI Yours Illuminated Cockpit, like the Cooper 3 Door and a bigger 8.8-inch touchscreen MINI Visual Boost infotainment system.

All models get Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with electronic differential lock and six airbags. Other notable features include auto climate control, auto lights, rain-sensing wipers, reverse sensors and camera, Comfort Access keyless entry and MINI Logo Projection puddle lights.

For the first time, MINI Malaysia has introduced 'MINI Yours Customised Accessories' where owners can design their own accessories. For more information visit, www.yours-customised.mini.

As far as pricing is concerned, the Cooper 3 Door retails at RM226,888, 5 Door at RM236,888 and the JCW at RM283,888 (all prices, on-the-road without GST or insurance). The prices, however, include a four-year, unlimited mileage warranty and a free service package for four years or 60,000km, whichever is reached first.