New Mini Page 4
INSIDE THE MINI
A combination of familiar design elements plus some futuristic styling will greet a person entering the surprisingly spacious cabin. There are no sliding windows or cables to open the doors but the huge speedometer in the middle of the dashboard will certainly bring back memories for many. It is possible to position the speedometer ahead of the steering wheel if regulations make it necessary. Otherwise, the tachometer alone is situated ahead of the steering wheel. Warning lights, arranged in a semi-circle, are within the white-faced meters.
The vents have a circular design that is reminiscent of the old cars and some of the switchgear tried to replicate the rocker switches with an up-down operation. However, the effect is spoilt by the fact that they are spring-loaded. The door panels are futuristic with cute round handles and nice cupholders are provided ahead of the shifter (an additional one is positioned between the front seats for the rear occupants).
The front seats are body-hugging and will give most people a snug feel. They are adjustable for height too but longer-legged people may find their knees rather visible as the fore-aft movement seems limited. Rear accommodation is enough for two adults who get deep bucket seats and sufficient elbow room. As with many modern hatchback, the backrests can fold down flat for a longer, larger boot area.
OFF TO A GREAT START
The new Mini – made at a factory in Oxford, UK, which BMW invested £350 million in – was officially launched in the UK last month and reaction was said to be phenomenal. One of the first buyers was a 73-year old woman who traded-in her 1985 Mini which had just 9,600 kms on the clock and was the only car she had ever owned. At one dealer, someone wanted to trade-in his 1977 Rolls-Royce for a new Mini! And in Portsmouth, a customer said he would not start the car’s engine till 2015 when his 3-year old daughter, for whom he was buying it, would be old enough to legally drive it!! Apparently, demand has been so great that people are willing to pay 30% above the list price to dealers to buy over demo cars. Expecting strong demand worldwide, BMW plans to make 100,000 units annually.
Given its frivolous character, BMW has developed various ‘lifestyle accessories’ to go with the Mini and these include backpacks, soft toys, organizers, planners, a mouse for the computer and of course, sunglasses.
MINI IN MALAYSIA
Malaysia is among the first markets in Asia to launch the new Mini and 150 units have been allocated to the official importer, Cartrade Sdn Bhd, for 2002 (deliveries will only begin during the first quarter of next year). Prices are forecast to range from RM130,000 for the Mini One, RM155,000 for the Mini Cooper and RM185,000 for the Mini Cooper S. Such a price structure would present a very strong case for reconsidering whether to buy that Civic or Corolla Altis…
“The initial batch of Minis will come with various specifications and equipment levels but later on, customers will be able to customise their orders,” said Ilyas Mohamed, CEO of Cartrade. Marketing and after-sales support will be handled by Auto Bavaria which is accepting non-refundable deposits of RM5,000.
