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BUSINESS CHICKS latte magazine
DRIVEN
Mini Me
M
ini has had a loyal following for many years.
It's cool, fun and attracts people of all ages.
BMW, who own Mini, are incredibly focused
on maximising the driving fun while being more effi-
cient. The Mini diesel has benefited enormously from
this commitment, allowing it to be crowned the most
fuel efficient car in Australia. It consumes only 3.9
litres per 100kms and has a carbon emission of 104
grams per kilometre. The increased fuel efficiency is
really the big story with the diesel car. If you have
never driven a Mini now's a great time. The Mini D
is fun, zips around town, zooms on the highway and
gets plenty of admiring looks from those around you.
Styling
You'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between
the petrol Mini and the diesel Mini. The bonnet is
slightly more bulberous and there is a larger air in-
take grille under the front bumper. The styling on the
inside is what you'd expect from Mini. Stylish, cool
and retro. All of the instruments are encapsulated in
silver trim. The seats are beautiful leather with super
stylish seat trim that reeks of fun.
Driver Comfort & Visibility
When it comes to the drive, the Mini D has the right
amount of firmness for a sporty and comfortable ride.
The seats are comfy, there's great head room and
everything is in easy reach. Cruise control, Bluetooth
phone controls and audio controls are all located on
the steering wheel for ease of use. Visibility is bril-
liant out of all windows, particularly the rear.
Safety
Mini might be light on fuel but it's not light on safety
features. You've got 6 airbags, ABS brakes, Electron-
ic Brake Force Distribution, Traction Control and Dy-
namic Stability Control.
Storage
The storage options are OK, but not great. The glove
box is a reasonable size and there are door pockets
for your bits and pieces. Thankfully the coffee lovers
amongst us are accommodated for with 3 good sized
cup holders located in the centre. There's storage net
in the front passenger foot well as well as the boot. As
you can imagine the boot space is not huge. You can
With fuel prices still high and parking spaces still scarce, many
people are looking to smaller cars to fulfil their driving needs.
Melissa Pye reviews the Mini Cooper D.