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22/05/2009
By ALISTAIR KENNEDY
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Whoever coined the phrase “you can’t have your cake and eat it too” obviously hadn’t heard about the just-released MINI Cooper D. Translated into motoring terms the adage suggests that when selecting a car you can either have performance and driving pleasure or fuel economy, but you can’t get both from the same car.
 Well now you can. Add the economy of a modern turbocharged diesel engine to the renowned driving dynamics of MINI and the two elements are no longer mutually-exclusive.
Power for the new MINI Cooper D comes from a turbo-diesel engine displacing 1.6 litres and developing up to 240 Newton metres of torque under normal driving, although torque can be extended to 260 Nm with an overboost function that activates when the accelerator pedal is flattened.
Transmission options are six-speed manual and six-speed automatic.
Our initial road test of the MINI diesel provided a good cross-section of typical driving conditions, starting with a circuit of the Melbourne CBD then moving, via a stretch of motorway, into a series of country roads. Each of the test cars was emblazoned with a large number on each of the front doors: ‘3.9’ on one side, indicating the car’s fuel consumption per 100 kilometres, and ‘104’ on the other representing its CO2 emissions in grams per kilometre.
 That combined city/highway fuel consumption figure of 3.9 L/100 km, measured by the Australian ADR test, gives the Cooper D the bragging rights as Australia’s most fuel efficient car. Under the same testing the Toyota Prius hybrid, generally seen as the environmental yardstick, uses 4.4 L/100 km and 106 g/km.
A large amount of automotive technology has gone into achieving these impressive figures.
The first of these that we encountered during our road test was the Auto Start Stop function. Rather than having the engine running when the car is stopped at traffic lights or in stop-start traffic, and so consuming fuel and releasing carbon dioxide, when the car is in neutral with the clutch released, the engine stops. When the clutch is re-engaged the engine starts again.
The system took a little getting used to, especially as the auto stop sounds very much as if the engine has been accidentally stalled, unlike the soft engine stop that we’re used to with the similar function in hybrid cars. Such are the vagaries of inner-city driving we were able to experience Auto Stop Start numerous times and quickly adapted to it. The problem of having to use all three pedals when re-starting on an upslope is covered by the car having a Hill Hold feature.
A number of other features, bundled together under the label MINIMALISM, contribute to the Cooper D’s fuel efficiency. These include Shift Point Display, which notifies the driver the optimum time to change gears; Brake Energy Regeneration charges the battery when the car is coasting or when the brakes are applied; a switchable water pump that is activated only when the engine reaches its regular operating temperature; and an aerodynamic underbody panel that optimises downforce and reduces resistance.
 Combine these technologies with a kerb weight of 1090 kg and the reasons for MINI Cooper D’s high efficiency rating becomes apparent.
Our road test concentrated almost entirely on the MINI diesel’s efficiency claims. The Australian ADR fuel consumptions ratings are generally well below what motorists are likely to achieve in real-life driving conditions. However in the case of the Cooper D we registered 5.7 L/100 km in the city section of the drive, 3.8 L/100 km in rural section for a combined rating of 4.0 for the entire trip. All very impressive figures.
Sadly this concentration on economy driving meant that we weren’t able to have the sort of fun that we’ve become accustomed to in what is one of our favourite small cars. One thing that was apparent, even in this modest driving style, was the amount of untapped torque, as expected from a turbo-diesel engine. We’ll be conducting our normal week-long test in the near future and will be surprised if it doesn’t turn out to be just as enjoyable to drive, even more so because of fewer fuel stops.
MINI Cooper D prices start at $33,750 (plus on-road costs). |
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