All-New MINI Cooper 5 Door Joins the Family With More Practical, Less Fun Body Style

Following the acquisition of the classic Mini brand by BMW AG back in 2001, the first order of business was to launch the modern incarnation of the classic Mini hatchback. It has gone through a trio of iterations already and now we have an entire family of retro-styled two-door hatchbacks, two-door convertibles, and a five-door hatchback since 2014.

The little city car has reached the fourth iteration a few months ago when it also changed its name to MINI Cooper regardless of the trim level. However, it was only introduced as a battery-electric model with novel styling inside and out back then. What about this familiar MINI, then? Well, for the sake of a little confusion, BMW also markets a major refresh of the third-generation MINI Hatch alongside the EV, and that one premiered not long ago as the MINI Cooper 3 Door.

Now, the five-door Cooper version is joining the MINI family with very familiar styling alongside "the brand's typical driving fun, extended space, and distinctive functionality." It now resides at a length of 4,036 mm, a width of 1,744 mm, and a height of 1,464 mm, with dimensions almost identical to those of the predecessor. Compared to the Cooper 3 Door, it has an extra 72 mm for the wheelbase and is 172 mm longer (2.8 inches and almost 7 inches, respectively).

The slightly more practical Cooper launches with a bit more body after the B-pillar – otherwise, it's the same as the three-door variant. As such, it has space for five persons onboard and 60:40 folding rear seats to accommodate an increase of the luggage capacity from 275 to 925 liters (that's up to 32.66 cubic feet). Aside from that, customers will receive the same retro-evocative styling as always, which makes these MINIs a little boring if you ask me.

Well, at least they have smoother front fascia designs with standard LED headlights and taillights, eleven exterior shades with three options for a contrasting roof, and four different exterior trims: Essential, Classic, Favored, and JCW. Before you ask, this isn't a John Cooper Works model – it's only a grade with a sporty atmosphere thanks to unique front and rear diffusers, radiator grille surround, high-gloss black JCW logos, and an exclusive Chili Red roof.

Inside, the high-resolution OLED touchscreen is 240 mm in diameter and comes equipped with the MINI Operating System 9 plus seven MINI Experience Modes and a MINI Projector on the rear of the display. The same trims apply inside, as well. Moving under the hood, MINI has just two gasoline engines up for grabs - Cooper C with a 154-hp three-cylinder and a 201-hp Cooper S with a four-pot.