Boardwalk for seaside jaunts

MINI feels the sand between its toes with a special edition.

AN assault has left the latest from MINI looking black and blue, but no need to involve authorities.  

We’re talking about another style assault from BMW’s Brit brand.

Black highlights and blue paintwork is a hero look defining the Boardwalk, a special edition with specific styling cues and specification that applies to a limited run the Countryman small sports utility.  

Ten Cooper and 20 Cooper S petrol variants are scheduled for New Zealand, respectively priced from $56,990 and $64,600. The cheap is powered by a 100kW/220Nm 1.5-litre turbo three-cylinder while the other a 141kW/280Nm 2.0-litre turbo four.

Both models are front-wheel-drive and feature seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions.

Standard equipment includes Deep Laguna Metallic exterior paint, Boardwalk-specific side scuttles and decals, black roof rails, Piano Black mirror caps, roof, grille and badges, 18-inch black alloy wheels, and LED headlights, tail-lights and fog lights.

Inside, standard features include Mini Yours black leatherette trim, Boardwalk Edition dashboard trim and door sills, Piano Black trim accents, anthracite headlining, a 5.0-inch digital instrument cluster, an 8.8-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and a reversing camera, a Harmon/Kardon 12-speaker sound system, and Mini Connected services.

There's also keyless entry, push-button start, front and rear parking sensors, heated sports seats, a panoramic sunroof, autonomous emergency braking and the Picnic Bench, a small cushion allowing the boot to be used safely as a seating area during a picnic.

The Countryman Cooper S Boardwalk adds a black honeycomb pattern for the front grille, a JCW Sport steering wheels, black leather-trimmed 'Cross Punch' seats with electric adjustment and memory, and adaptive cruise control.

And if you think you might have seen the paint colour before? Correct: The same hue offered on last year’s MINI Convertible Sidewalk edition.

MINI says the Boardwalk is intended to “combines signature traits of the iconic British brand like precision engineering and beautiful craftsmanship in a handsome package, celebrating a universal love for the seaside.”

Countryman PHEV's range improved

Cleaner engines, technology and styling changes come with a refresh for the biggest Mini.

IMPROVED range from the flagship plug-in hybrid drivetrain is promised with a mid-life update to the Mini Countryman.

The biggest model to bear the Mini badge continues with the current engines choices, though all have been reworked to improve economy and efficiency. Yet there are no alterations to outputs.

So, the entry Cooper’s 1.5-litre three-cylinder continues with 100kW and 220Nm; the Cooper S 2.0-litre four-cylinder still puts out 131kW and 280Nm and the Cooper SE ALL4 maintains total outputs of 165kW and 385Nm.

However, the unit that uses a 65kW/165Nm electric motor powered by a 9.6kWh lithium-ion battery pack now claims an electric-only range of up to 61km, against 40km previously. 

The engines all have particulate filters and the engines in the Cooper and Cooper S now have an exhaust manifold integrated into the cylinder head. A more efficient starter-generator system is standard across the range.

With the cars not coming until the end of the year, Mini isn’t yet keen to lend details on local market specification and, of course, there’s nothing yet on pricing. The hit shouldn’t be too extreme, though, given that sticker revisions in its home country have been modest.

External revisions are similar to those already meted to the three- and five-door hatchback two years ago the the Clubman in 2019.

A new grille with hexagonal comb mesh and a new bumper below differentiate the incoming line from the 2017-released originals. The rear also gets a nip and tuck with Union Jack taillights. 

The interior delivers change with redesigned dash and layout, including a “refined surface around the circular control unit” which measures 8.8-inches in diameter and hosts MINI Connected features including Navigation Plus and Amazon Alexa integration and Apple CarPlay.

Equipment on the three trim grades includes 16-inch, 17-inch and 19-inch alloys, digital instrument display, roof and side mirror caps finished in either body colour, white, black or silver depending on model, piano black exterior and interior trims, plus a new range of materials and leathers is offered, including new blue and brown seat colours. As always, there’s an extended range of personalisation options and Mini accessories, including a rear bicycle rack, roof box, luggage mat and all-weather floor mats.