Mini One and Cooper D (2007): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard

First Official Pictures

17 January 2007 09:25

What's this, a hot-hatch diesel version of the new Mini?

Hang on a minute, the new Mini Cooper D is faster than the old One D - but it's not exactly going to threaten the turbocharged Cooper S hot hatch. But the advent of a 109bhp turbodiesel means that BMW has dropped the One badge and upgraded the oil-burner to Cooper status this time. Under the bonnet lies the PSA Peugeot-Citroen 1.6-litre engine. With 192lb ft of torque available in short bursts on overboost, it's enough to nudge the 0-62mph time down to 9.9sec while top speed is 121mph. You can spot the Cooper D by its larger front air intake and subtle power dome on the bonnet, required to accommodate the new engine.

Good question. Diesel sales drop off significantly in supermini and city car sectors - they're already small enough to be economical and the benefits of slotting a pricey diesel engine into a small car outweigh the meagre benefits. That said, the Cooper D does manage to be more teetotal than the outgoing, less powerful One D. The new one will average 64.2mpg and pumps out just 118g/km - so it'll be popular with business users wishing to trim their tax bill. However, there's one big stumbling block... it costs £14,190. That's halfway between the petrol Cooper and the Cooper S range-topper.

By Tim Pollard