British United Automobiles, aka MINI Philippines, will launch the third generation of the new MINI Cooper today.

The new MINI Cooper, now dubbed the MINI Hardtop, features new engines, and an all-new bodywork and interior.

The new car is longer by 114 mm and wider by 43 mm. It's also taller by 8 mm. Although at first glance the Hardtop is within a whisker of its predecessor, it's inside that the new dimensions are felt, particularly for the rear seat passengers. That new size gives it 55% bigger footprint than the original, classic MINI.

Styling is pretty much in keeping with the character of the modern MINI, with round headlamps and upright taillights. The headlamps now use LEDs for brighter lighting and quicker response. A new character line ties the front and rear wheel arches, still quite large and semi-circular.

The new watchword is efficiency, and for that there's a new range of engines. The standard Cooper loses one cylinder, to make three. It gains a turbocharger and, with it, the 1.5-litre, 12-valve unit can still generate 134 horsepower. This is good for a 0-100 km-per-hour time of 7.4 seconds, with a top speed of 208 kph.

The more powerful Cooper S retains four-cylinder power. Its 2-litre, inline-four engine is good for 189 HP and goes to 100 kph in 6.5 seconds. Top speed goes up to 233 kph. Transmission choices are six-speed manual or automatic. The first batch of cars in the Philippines will feature automatics.

Thorough reworking

Aside from the bigger passenger space, the cabin gets a thorough reworking. The speedometer, still circular, has wisely migrated to behind the steering wheel. The extra-large circle in the middle is now the home of an 8.8-inch colour display panel. Display lighting changes colour to indicate driving efficiency.

The switches for the power windows have also moved, to the door panels, making for more logical operation. Other features include keyless go with engine start/stop toggle switch, available Harman Kardon audio and heads-up display. An array of the electronic driver assist will help keep the new MINI Cooper planted on the road.

MINI Philippines boss Willy Tee Ten reckons that the new MINI will appeal to a wider range of customers.

The car is a little longer, which means there's more room not just for kids but for full-sized adults also. But the new MINI still retains its flexibility and nimble go kart feel. This is something that is still a part of the MINI, and I think it will never be taken away," he said.

There are a lot of changes in technology for this new-generation MINI, Tee Ten bared.

"For me, this is because they are preparing for something more in the future. There are a lot of future products that will come out of the new F56 MINI, and we are all very excited about it. As far as fuel efficiency and horsepower are concerned, they have gained significant improvement," he said.

The all-new MINI Cooper sells for PHP 2.1 million (US$ 47,800), while the more powerful Cooper S retails for PHP 2.6 million.