- MINI Convertible hasn’t been crash tested
- Based on the four-star MINI Hatch
- Plenty of safety equipment is thrown in
The MINI Convertible shares its underpinnings with the MINI Hatch, which received a four-star rating when it was crash tested by Euro NCAP in 2014. The Convertible hasn’t been tested itself, but it should fare well if you’re unfortunate enough to be in an incident.
All MINI Convertible models come with integrated rollover bars, stability control, electronic brake force distribution, and a traction control system that works when driving on loose sand or snow.
Front and side airbags are fitted along with Isofix child seat mounting points. A tyre pressure monitoring system is also standard.
The optional Driving Assistant Pack includes adaptive cruise control, road sign detection and a collision and pedestrian warning system for extra convenience and peace of mind.
- Interior space isn’t the MINI Convertible’s forte
- Small things are there to boost ease of use, though
- Rear-seat space is cramped for taller people
The roof opens and closes in 18 seconds at up to 19mph and folds a little fussily behind the small rear seats. The first 40cm of the roof can also be retracted while the roof rails are in place, in effect creating a large sunroof. This can be done at any speed.
There’s just enough room for four adults but the Convertible remains to be a real squeeze despite a slight increase in rear passenger space.
The rear seats are still small for passengers despite MINI’s claims to have increased seat surfacing, head-, elbow- and shoulder-room with knee room improving by 36mm over the previous model.
A removable wind deflector is optional and can be positioned to reduce turbulence for the front passengers only. It can be stowed in the boot when not in use.
Traditionalists won’t like the size of the latest MINI, but it’s still one of the smallest cars on sale, and as such, will be a breeze to nip around town in and you’ll do well to find a parking space that it won’t fit into.
The main issue you’ll have is with visibility, especially if you’re reversing with the roof down as it really obstructs what you can see out of the rear-view mirror. With it raised, the dark hood makes the cabin quite dark, too, but standard-fit parking sensors help here.
The boot is 25 percent larger than the convertible that came before it, but still relatively small at 215 litres (or 160 litres with roof stowed), and access is a bit limited through a letterbox-style bootlid.
However, an Easy Load function lifts the hood out of the way to squeeze in larger items really adds an extra dimension of practicality, and is easy to use. The rear seats also split and fold for slightly longer items.
The downward-opening bootlid can support a weight of up to 80kg to ease loading and a 12-volt socket can be found in the luggage compartment.
