Production of the Mini Convertible has returned to the UK with the introduction of the new fourth-generation car.
The soft-top will soon begin rolling off the line at the historic Oxford factory, marking its homecoming after a nine-year run at the VDL Nedcar plant in the Netherlands.
This means it will be offered exclusively with petrol engines, as Oxford paused production of electric cars with the introduction of the fourth-generation Mini hatchback last year.
It will be offered in two guises: the Cooper Convertible C, with a 161bhp 1.5-litre turbo triple, and the Cooper Convertible S, packing a 201bhp 2.0-litre turbo four.
Both engines are mated to a dual-clutch automatic gearbox as standard, after Mini dropped manual 'boxes last year.
The Cooper Convertible S takes 6.9sec to complete the 0-62mph sprin – 0.3sec slower than the Cooper S hatchback. Similarly, the Cooper Convertible C takes 0.5sec longer than the Cooper C hatchback, hitting 62mph in 8.2sec.
The lag in performance is a result of the additional 40kg added by the fabric roof and its electrical folding mechanism.
The roof takes 18sec to fully open and 15sec to close at vehicle speeds of up to 19mph. There's also the option to partially drop the top (by 40cm) to mimic a sunroof.
With the roof up, boot space is actually up by five litres compared with the Cooper hatchback, at 215 litres. It shrinks to just 160 litres with the roof down, however.
A wind deflector and hidden rollover-protection system are fitted as standard.
Inside, the new Convertible mirrors its hatchback sibling with a centrally mounted, circular 9.5in infotainment touchscreen hosting the controls for most of the car’s functions.
Three trim levels are offered. Classic gets 16in wheels, part-faux-leather seats and a black cloth dashboard. Exclusive bumps the alloys up to 17in, extends the faux leather to the full seat and wraps the dashboard in beige cloth. Sport apes the look of the John Cooper Works hot hatch with 18in wheels, an aggressive bodykit and seats trimmed in faux leather and corduroy. It also adds gearshift paddles to the steering wheel.
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One of the few convertibles left, is it the cheapest one left?
Shame they couldn't have re-engineered the back end to incorporate the new style rear lights, but the compromise doesn't look too bad. Good news about the UK production though.