Mini Cooper Paceman Base

Expert Review by Maxabout

Mini Paceman made its first public appearance at the Paris Motor Show. This 3-door coupe has evolved from the elder sibling, Countryman. Let’s check out this new car in detail.

Exterior

High ground clearance, sloping roof, muscular wheels and big body panels forms this new car of Mini which can grab your attention easily. The car certainly looks inspired from its elder sibling, Countryman as they both are based on the same platform. In fact, Paceman is longer than its sibling and with sloping roof and thick pillars, the car truly looks like a coupe. Land Rover Evoque also follows the same styling pattern which is already quite popular in India. The up-raised bonnet lines and angular headlights at its front form the face of this car. The front grille and the small air dam just below the bonnet look extremely catchy. The circular fog lights and rectangular air-dam of Paceman is similar to its siblings. The air-inlets in this air dam help its wheels to stay cool by taking in fresh air. The noticeable lines on its front bumper make it look aerodynamic while the black layering below the bumper adds sporty character to this car. This black colored layering further becomes the wheel arches of Paceman which can be seen all around this car. The massive 17 inches alloy wheels and large doors add visual bulk to Paceman while the silver lining around windows makes it look premium. Paceman has a big boot gate which sits right below its extremely sporty rear glass with an inbuilt spoiler and wiper. The rounded tail lamps make it look picture perfect and the twin chrome finished exhaust pipes also enhance the visual appearance of this car.

MInterior

Paceman comes with dual tone interiors with all high quality of leather and plastic work inside. It’s a four seater which offers sufficient amount of knee and shoulder room. Head room is a matter of concern though for the tall passengers at the back due to its sloping roof. The bucket seats offer you proper under thigh and back support.

Comfort and Convenience

The car is stuffed with all important features like power windows, adjustable three spoke steering wheel, digital speedometer, automatic climate control, central locking and electrically adjustable driver seat. Electric sun roof, cruise control and paddle shift are some of the premium features of this car and you will also get automatic headlights, wipers and arm rests at the front.

Dashboard and Storage

Paceman has a very sophisticated and premium looking black colored dashboard. The touch and texture of this dashboard is similar to any luxury car of BMW. It features a big circular dial for its combined analogue-digital instrument cluster placed on the top of its central console which comes with many buttons on it made of high quality of plastic. The circular AC vents and dials for its integrated tachometer and speedometer gels well with the interiors of this car. Apart from its air-cooled glove box in its dashboard and door pockets, there is not much storage space inside. Paceman has a boot capacity of 330 litres which can be further extended by folding down the rear seats.

Music System

The central console of Paceman comes integrated with a music system. The car is blessed with powerful speakers to give you musical journeys. The car also features Bluetooth connectivity which enables you to take /make calls while driving. The audio and Bluetooth controls are mounted on its steering wheel.

Engine and Gearbox

Paceman comes with a variety of engines; out of which two are diesel engines. Paceman also uses the 1.6L petrol engine of Mini in two different states. The standard version produces a peak power of 122 bhp at 6000 rpm with a maximum torque output of 154.5 Nm. The S version of this engine uses a turbocharger and generates a maximum power of 184 bhp which arrives at 5500 rpm. The maximum torque produced by this engine is of 240 Nm. This engine supplies power through (All4) all-wheel drive system. The 1.6L diesel engine of Paceman produces a peak power of 111 bhp at 4000 rpm. The second 2.0L diesel engine is available with (All4) four wheel drive system. It churns out a maximum power of 143 bhp at 4000 rpm. These all three engines use four cylinders and are available with six-speed manual as well as automatic transmission.

Acceleration and Performance

The standard petrol variant reaches 0-100km/hr in less than 10.5seconds with a top speed of 184km/hr while the turbocharged variant does the same in 7.5seconds and goes all the way to 212km/hr. The SD variant is 1.5seconds quicker than the smaller 1.6L diesel engine as it reaches 0-100km/hr in less than 9.2seconds with a top speed of 200km/hr while the smaller engine reaches the top speed of 182km/hr.

Mileage and Safety Features

The car is yet to be tested on our Indian roads so you have to wait for the actual fuel figures. Paceman will have all premium safety features like airbags, ESP and stability control etc.

Suspension and Brakes

The car shares its suspension and braking system with Countryman which adjusts itself according to the terrain. The braking system will have disc brakes on all four wheels and ABS with EBD to give you complete control over this car.

Ride and Handling

The long wheelbase and wide tyres of Paceman are strong enough to keep this car grounded at high speeds. The light steering wheel adds right feel to the ride of Paceman and handles brilliantly on all terrains. The high ground clearance and four wheel drive system makes it a good off road car which performs with full confidence all the time.

Shades, Variants and Warranty

The car is not officially launched so we will have to wait for these details.

Verdict

Paceman might sound like a value for money car but we don’t think its worth for Indians. If the car makes its way to India then it will have an expensive price tag which will make it even costlier than the full size SUVs but people may fall for its unique road presence thanks to its fabulous styling.