A couple of more affordable versions of the MINI Hatch in 3-door and 5-door guises are coming this fall in the shape of the MINI One First models. While the MINI One has been representing the more affordable side of things for years, it looks like MINI wants to offer you an even cheaper alternative along with a drop in horsepower as well, of course. Since the 5-door version has been on offer for quite some time now, the novelty comes from the 3-door alternative to be launched this October.
The MINI One First 3-door hatch comes with the 1.2-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged engine tuned to deliver just 75 HP and 150 Nm (110 lb-ft) of torque. The engine is mated to a standard 6-speed manual transmission which is also the only choice you can go for. The 0-62 mph sprint takes 12.8 seconds while the top speed is limited to 175 km/h (108 mph). As for the fuel consumption, the low weight of the car helps out a bit, tipping the scale at 1,160 kg (2,557 lbs), returning an average of 5.1 l/100 km (46.1 mpg) in the NEDC test cycle.
On the other hand, the MINI One First 5-door model comes with the same engine but has a bit more weight to carry. Being a bit longer shows when hopping on the scale and the 5-door shows worse performance overall. The 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint takes 13.4 seconds, while the top speed is claimed to be 172 km/h (107 mph). The 5-door is 60 kilos heavier than the 3-door model, tipping the scale at 1,220 kg (2,689 lbs) and sipping more fuel overall at 5.2 l/100 km (45 mpg).
Nevertheless, in Europe, these cars might actually sell in big numbers as they will be cheaper than their MINI One alternatives. Being the lightest cars in the range and coming with a 6-speed manual transmission should help put a smile on the face of their drivers starting this October.
