Design

It’s a good looker whether the roof is up or down, and to take advantage of every passing ray of sunshine the electrically-powered soft top folds down in 18 seconds – it operates at speeds of up to 18mph, too. You also have the choice of sunroof mode, just opening the roof above the driver and front seat passenger’s head. Roof and four seats up, you have 215 litres of luggage space and roof down the figure drops to 160 litres – still respectable for a sporty soft-top. The new modern design features a larger grille with a black hexagonal surround and air intakes replace the previous position lights. The central bumper strip is now in body colour and the new exterior paint colours are Rooftop Grey, Island Blue and Zesty Yellow – the latter available exclusively to Convertible models. There are five new wheels with a range of spoke designs to choose from in 17” and 18” options.

Safety

MINI’s safety features include Dynamic Stability and Traction Control to provide the optimum grip on all driving surfaces, with Dynamic Stability Control intervening to keep the vehicle in line by applying braking force to individual wheels. The Driver Assistance Pack includes Active Cruise Control (with Stop & Go function), which automatically maintains desired speed and distance to vehicles ahead, with lane departure warnings helping you to stay safely within lane.

Technology

Standard equipment in the MINI Convertible includes a leather multi-function steering wheel and 8.8” colour touchscreen display. There’s also a 5” digital dash that shows key driving information, check-control messages and status displays of the driver assistance systems. Display colours and mood lighting can be changed to a number of options in Lounge and Sport modes, too. Apple CarPlay, Wireless Charging and Head-up Display are available in optional packs whilst the MINI app allows you to check fuel levels, send navigation destinations directly to your car and other handy features.

Performance

If you’re interested in the Convertible, you’ll have a choice of Cooper and Cooper S, powered by 1.5 and 2.0 litre petrol engines respectively, or alternatively the John Cooper Works model that hits the 0-62mph market in just 6.6 seconds. Gearbox options include a 7-speed automatic for the Cooper, or a new 8-speed sports automatic transmission for the Cooper S and John Cooper Works.