MINI 2021: updated design, unchanged engines and improved comfort

Each new MINI evolution tends to be conservative, yet placing the 2001 car alongside the model arriving on the market in spring 2021 shows that, as with so many things in life, the whole exceeds the sum of its parts. The cumulative changes over these two decades therefore appear far more significant than any individual alteration might suggest.

For this generation’s 2021 facelift, the hexagonal radiator grille grows through the addition of a black surround. The position lights have made way for vertical air intakes at the outer edges of the front end, while the centre section of the bumper, which carries the number plate, is now finished in body colour rather than the black used previously.

At the rear, the centrally positioned fog light is incorporated into the apron as a slim LED strip, and a new black horizontal band sits above the bumper.

Contrasting roof colours remain available. However, a special painting method has been introduced, blending several shades that are applied wet-on-wet during production to create a distinctive Spray Tech finish that varies from one car to another.

As Oliver Heilmer, design director of the British brand owned by the BMW Group, explains: “This multi-tone roof takes the possibilities for personalisation to new levels and, because every finish is genuinely unique, it is worth taking a close look at the car.”

More black and less chrome

The distinctive round headlights now feature black rather than chrome inner trim. A circular band houses the daytime running light and indicator functions, while both dipped and main beams are now LED units with improved illumination. New features are also available, including cornering, Matrix and bad-weather lights.

At the rear, the Union Flag light signature becomes standard across every 2021 MINI variant: the three-door, five-door and Cabrio.

Inside, there are fresh patterns and trim materials and, as on the exterior, fewer metallic inserts. The air vents at either end of the dashboard receive black surrounds, while the central vents have been restyled and sit flush with the dashboard.

The familiar round central display is now always 8.8”, having previously been 6.5” with the larger screen offered as an option. It is joined by piano-black surfaces and a new “operating system”, which MINI intends to make more intuitive to use.

The hazard warning and driver-assistance controls have also been repositioned within the circular control unit. More contemporary graphics and new functions in the apps offered for this model are further additions.

The steering wheel adopts a new design, while better-equipped versions gain a 5” colour digital instrument display presenting the driver’s key information. In the electric MINI, this is where charging data is shown.

Several ambient lighting choices are available, and even the dashboard’s two screens can take on the colours of the Lounge setting, ranging from turquoise to petrol blue, or Sport, in red and anthracite.

MINI 2021 engine range unchanged

The engine line-up in the 2021 MINI remains unchanged: 1.5-litre three-cylinder units with 75 cv, 102 cv and 136 cv, plus the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine in the Cooper S and John Cooper Works (JCW), producing 178 cv and 231 cv respectively. Naturally, there is also the 100% electric 184 cv version, whose 32.6 kWh battery delivers a range of between 203 km and 234 km.

All versions are fitted with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic in the two more powerful 1.5 models, while the JCW uses an eight-speed torque-converter automatic.

Improved comfort

While MINIs have been regarded for two decades as the market’s most entertaining compact models to drive, some customers also consider their suspension generally too firm for certain road surfaces.

The 2021 MINI therefore introduces an adaptive suspension system which, according to the brand, achieves a better balance between handling effectiveness, often likened to that of a go-kart, and ride quality in the interests of greater comfort.

Engineers say the secret lies in continuously variable frequency-selective damping. The system, unavailable on the MINI One and the electric Cooper SE, uses an additional valve to soften sudden pressure peaks inside the damper and, according to driving conditions and the road surface, can reduce damping forces by up to 50%.

With its market launch scheduled for spring, prices for the updated 2021 MINI are not yet known.