Open season for convertible

The new generation Mini Cooper Convertible will be arriving in New Zealand showrooms in the first quarter of 2025, with pricing and specification details to be announced closer to launch. 

The fully automatic soft top can be opened at the touch of a button in two ways, either like a sunroof or fully retracted.

It takes 18 seconds to open completely and can be fully retracted at speeds of up to 30kph, while closing it takes 15 seconds.

When the soft top is open, the luggage compartment volume of 160 litres and this expands to 215 litres if the roof is shut.

The convertible measures 3,879 mm long, 1,431 mm high and 1,744 mm wide. It comes in three trims, classic, favoured and JCW, with the latter providing an “extremely sporty appearance”.

There is a choice of grey or black seats in a combination of artificial leather and textile silhouette in blue in the classic trim, JCW sport seats in the favoured option are available in beige and Nightshade Blue synthetic leather with contrasting stitching. 

In the JCW Trim, the sport seats are upholstered in black vegan leather with multi-coloured knitted fabric on the shoulders and red stitching

Three four-cylinder petrol engines deliver the brand’s signature go-kart feel and, like the new Mini Cooper, the convertible is available in C and S versions as well as a performance-orientated variant.

The entry-level Mini Cooper Convertible C delivers fuel consumption of 6.6-6.5l/100km, has a power output of 120kW and a maximum torque of 250Nm. It accelerates from 0-100kph in 8.2 seconds and has a top speed of 220kph. 

The Convertible S has the same fuel consumption but extra power and torque of 150kW and 300Nm respectively. It can do the 0-100kph sprint in in 6.9 seconds and can reach 237kph.

Mini notes the performance-orientated JCW model focuses on sportiness and maximum driving pleasure, but has not provided its numbers at this stage.