Paris 2014: 2015 Mini five-door hatch unleashed

Mini’s first ever 5-door hatch has made its public debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. Practicality gets importance over style in this one to cater to a wider audience and on the face of it, it makes a much more logical car for India. Larger variants of the hatch, like the Countryman for instance, has been quite popular here. 

The three-door Mini has been criticised for its lack of space both in the back seats and in the boot and the 2015 Mini five-door hatch aims to address some of these issues. The new car is 4,005mm long, 1,727mm wide, 1,425mm in height and rides on a 2,567mm wheelbase. The five-door Mini hatch is 162mm longer and 11mm taller than the regular three-door Mini Cooper hatch, and is 72mm longer between the wheels.

Mini claims the additional wheelbase length translates directly to a 72mm boost in rear legroom and foot space, while the five-door also offers 15mm more headroom and 61mm more interior width at elbow level. Storage space has likewise increased, growing by 67 litres to 278 litres with the 60:40 rear seats upright and 941 litres when laid flat.

The engine line-up is borrowed from the standard model. So the 2015 Mini five-door hatch is offered with both petrol and diesel engine options. The new 2015 Mini hatch comes equipped with a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine capable of churning out 137PS of power and a peak torque of 220Nm, while a 1.5-litre three-cylinder oil burner delivers 117PS of power and 270Nm of torque.

Also on offer is the 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol and diesel engine delivering 194PS of power and 280Nm of torque and 170PS of power and 360Nm. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, but depending on the engine choice Mini is also offering a six-speed Steptronic and a Steptronic sports transmission.

The 2015 Mini five-door hatch will go on sale in the international market a few days from now, carrying a starting price of Rs 15.75 lakh, and going up to Rs 19.86 lakh for the Mini Cooper SD.