• No escaping the MINI’s compact dimensions
• Good space up front, less so in the rear
• Five-door model far easier to live with

How much space is there?

The back doors on the five-door model are short, which makes getting in and out quite hard work but – once you’re in – legroom is OK for kids and short adults and headroom is fine for all but the tallest of passengers. Those stubby rear doors might make accessing child seats tricky, though, but at least it’s easier than it would be in a three-door version. You can fit three people across the rear seat bench, but it’s a tight squeeze.

The three-door MINI is a small car and really aimed at individuals or couples, rather than serving as a small family car. However, it’s not all bad news – as while the MINI Hatch’s ability to carry four adults in comfort remains questionable, the extra space available inside is good for the car’s flexibility.

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Boot space and storage

Naturally, the most practical choice is the five-door model, which joined the range towards the end of 2014. It’s a five-seater (the three-door MINI will sit four people only) and can carry more luggage: the three-door’s boot measures only 211 litres with the seats up, and 731 with them folded down, while the five-door model’s extra overall length allows for 278 litres seats up and 941 seats down.

Luggage space is limited. But the space is easy to get to and surprisingly deep, which helps it accommodate bulky items in.

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The moveable boot floor can be set at two different heights or hinged forwards to rest against the back of the rear seats. In the three-door that makes for a deep (thank the lack of a spare wheel) but still relatively short boot.

Is it easy to park?

The MINI isn’t a big car, by any stretch. It’s a supermini and will easily fit into most parking spaces and is great for zipping around town. The upright windscreen takes a little getting used to, as it feels quite far away at first, but it’s easy to judge the edges of the car. Overall, though, it’s also easy to manoeuvre into tight spaces thanks to those compact dimensions.

Safety

• Four-star Euro NCAP rating
• Extra safety kit available
• Good for a small car

When tested by Euro NCAP, the MINI just missed out on the full five-star rating and was ultimately awarded four stars.

Three Isofix child seat mounting points are offered in the MINI: two on the back seat and one on the front passenger seat, the latter of which automatically disconnects the airbag. Six airbags, including front, side and curtain, complement the high-strength passenger safety cell, with deformable crumple zones front and rear. There’s no escaping the MINI Hatch’s longer and higher nose, either – something necessitated by pedestrian safety regulations.

LED tail lights offer improved visibility, while full LED headlights are now standard across the range. Naturally, ABS brakes are standard, which are supplemented by electronic brakeforce distribution to maximise stopping power in emergency situations.

Traction control is standard and the optional active cruise control with a collision mitigation function which will attempt to stop your MINI being involved in a frontal collision in the first place. It’s good that it’s available, but disappointing that it’s relegated to the options list, most rivals have automatic emergency braking as standard these days.

WATCH: MINI Hatch Euro NCAP crash test video