MINI Paceman joins the family, makes it seven

Ah, on to something from MINI, and it’s the Paceman – the coupé interpretation of the Countryman makes it seven in the family when it arrives next year, joining the Hatch, Clubman, Convertible, Countryman, Coupé and Roadster in the ever-growing lineup.

It sits on the Countryman platform, and measures 4,109 mm bumper to bumper (4,115mm for Cooper S Paceman and Cooper SD Paceman), which makes it almost identical in size to its sibling.

Four versions of the three-door Paceman will be available, these being the 122 hp Cooper and 184 hp Cooper S, and the 112 hp 1.6 litre Cooper D and 143 hp 2.0 litre SD diesels.

All will come with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, with a six-speed automatic with Steptronic as an option. As for the company’s ALL4 system, it’s available on the Cooper D, SD and Cooper S Paceman models.

Design-wise, the car’s coupé-style stretched side profile features long doors, while the blacked-out pillars create a ‘floating’ roof concept as seen on the Coupé. Incidentally, the Paceman will be the only member of the MINI family to be identified by a rear nameplate.

The four-seater features an interior that has been designed specifically for it, with the highlight being an innovative rear seat, styled around a lounge concept and featuring two individual chairs offering generous levels of head, shoulder and knee room as well as outstanding comfort and support.

Folding down the rear seats expands the rear load-carrying capacity from 330 litres to a maximum of 1,080 litres, with access to the rear cargo area via a large and high-opening tailgate.

Meanwhile, the instrument panel includes many familiar components, including the large round central speedo. However, there’s new decorative trim, and the air vent surrounds have been redesigned. Also, the toggle switch buttons for the windows, found below the speedo on every MINI to date, have been moved to the door trim panel.

Driver aids include Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) as standard across the range, with Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) including Electronic Differential Lock Control (EDLC) on the Cooper S Paceman, Cooper SD Paceman and Cooper D Paceman ALL4.

A host of kit is available, including Xenon Adaptive Headlights, Park Distance Control, Auto Start/Stop, an electrically-operated glass roof plus a MINI navigation system. The car comes with 16-inch and 17-inch wheels as standard, with 18-inch or 19-inch units on the options list.

Eight exterior paint shades are available, including new shades in the form of Brilliant Copper and Blazing Red, as well as Starlight Blue, previously unseen and unique to the Paceman.

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