MINI, an auto brand with British roots, is unveiling its latest model range that marks a profound change in the car’s appearance and technology. The new MINI is 10 cm longer, 4 cm wider and 7 mm taller than the previous version, and it has also got a longer wheelbase of 2,8 cm. While growing bigger in terms of physical dimensions, the car has also evolved technically, featuring new controller devices, futuristic display designs and more.
“A car built for individualists, it whisks the legendary forms of the classic Mini from 1959 into the present day and takes to the stage with greater presence and maturity than ever,” says the press note. The all-new MINI has revised many of its iconic elements in design, making them look more prominent, adding to the car’s elegant and sporty appearance.
The new elements of the exterior design include a smooth, one-piece chrome frame, larger trapezoidal rear lights that now have greater presence, the slightly downward-sloping roofline that powers forward and makes the roof look “floating” over the car, and newly designed flanks to name just a few. Along with structural innovation, the lighting is sustainable—the new MINI is the first car on the market to get LED headlights.
The interiors of the new car also get a lot of enhancements. From the tech point of view, the MINI 2014 is a car of tomorrow with its new somewhat futuristic performance displays. It got a new instrument cluster with speedometer and fuel gauge, placed ahead of the driver right on the steering column, so that it could be directly in the line of vision. The Centre Speedo morphed into a graphics-based panel that delivers navigation info and also displays performance of other infotainment systems. The optional Head Up Display (see it above) projects information about the car’s speed and navigation instructions right into the driver’s field of view onto a transparent panel, so that the driver doesn’t have to adjust the eye focus away from the road.
From the decorative point of view, the interiors are developed with the “Ambient Light” theme in mind. Its rear compartment features the impressive individual-seat character, sporty and grown-up. The lateral support provided by the seats is designed around the sporty theme, delivering the go-kart feeling for rear passengers.
The new MINI is the most democratic car in the brand’s history when it comes to the color choice. The range features 12 exterior colors so that drivers could select the shade that best fits their personality. The five new colors are Volcanic Orange, Moonwalk Grey, Blazing Red, Deep Blue and Electric. Consumers can also customize their MINI with one of five Colour Lines and also select 10 seat cover designs and more.
The new Mini Cooper will be priced at £15,300, which is 2.61% more than a current model, Telegraph reports. The source also says that the cheaper versions will arrive later in 2014. For detailed information about the car’s design and performance, read the official notes from MINI. The previous generation of MINIs was launched in 2011.