MINI update tweaks trim, tech

The revised editions arrive after June.

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THE MINI hatch and convertible have been revised for 2021, with styling tweaks inside and out, adoption of an adaptive suspension system and a revised infotainment system that allows for phone control of some functionality.

The updated line is set to land in New Zealand in the second half of this year. Local pricing will be revealed closer to launch. 

The most obvious styling change is at the front, where MINI has increased the size of the grille, added a body-coloured strip and new black surround.  

Air inlets have also replaced spot lamps in the lower section of the front bumper, while the inside of the headlights is now finished in black rather than chrome.

Three new exterior finishes, Rooftop Grey, Island Blue and Zesty Yellow are also available.

Also, this update brings introduction of a ‘Multitone Roof’; roofs in certain models feature a colour gradient — one colour at the front gradually fading into another colour for the rear. It’s supposedly a world first.

The big interior revision is to the infotainment; the 8.8-inch touch screen is new and the system which now runs a new operating system, which also includes the ability to control various functions with a phone app.

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A new sports steering wheel and a five-inch digital instrument cluster now come as standard across the entire line-up, too. 

Among the performance tweaks is an updated adaptive suspension system in all models except for the electric.

This constantly monitors and adjusts the car’s suspension through the use of continuous frequency-selective damping. MINI says it “redefines the brand’s hallmark go-kart feeling”.

Powertrains are unchanged and local market provisions will continue to comprise 100kW280Nm three-cylinder, a pair of turbocharged four-cylinders - the 141kW/280Nm Cooper S unit and 170kW/320Nm version in the John Cooper Works flagship - plus to the MINI Cooper SE’s 135kW/270Nm electric motor.