We really do like the MINI 3-door hatch and maybe even the 5-door, the cold steel, the British made design, the Britishness, and the rule Brittania or should it be, rule Brexitania, Brexitania rule… a narrow-minded population who want to make themselves poorer only to make the elite richer. For now, we can exhale at the thought that MINI will be British based… forever?
We can also exhale with inner peace in the knowledge that the MINI 3/5 door hatch and convertible get a host of tech and engineering updates for 2018. The most important is front and rear LED lights are now standard across the range.
Tech updates include MINI Connected Concierge services, wireless smartphone charging and first-in-class options such as new anti-dazzle adaptive headlights with Matrix high beam.
A 6.5-inch touchscreen display is standard and for an extra bribe, you can upgrade to a new 8.8-inch touchscreen with integrated navigation.
Three brand new exterior finishes are also introduced, Emerald Grey metallic, Starlight Blue metallic and Solaris Orange metallic.
MINI allows for limited customisation, you don’t ask you just get. For example, the Piano Black Exterior pack sees the surrounds of the headlights, rear lights and radiator grille finished in high-gloss black instead of chrome.
The engine range has been tweaked, the 3-cylinder 1.2-litre petrol has an increase in capacity to 1.5-litres which roughly means 101bhp. The diesel remains… for now… but for how long?
Oh, and did we mention the new dual clutch, 7-speed Steptronic transmission? we have now.
The revised MINI will go on sale in the UK on March 17 2018. Expect to pay a little bit more when the time comes.