Published:
13 April 2012If you’re at all familiar with the Mini hatch, dropping yourself into the forward part of the Coupé’s interior is like seeing your partner after they’ve had a subtle haircut.
You recognise everything, but there’s something ever so slightly different. Up to the waistline it's the same – save for some natty highlighting on the trim – with the same dashboard, switchgear, driving position and seats.
What’s different is the steeper rake of the windscreen, and there’s no denying that the curving roof, as it slopes quickly towards your head, does add a more cocooning and, we’ll admit, more sporting feel to the Mini’s cabin.
The Alcantara-covered steering wheel of our test car helps that case along, too. The driving position is no more sporting than usual but, marginal loss of headroom aside, is as good as usual.
Ergonomically it’s sound, albeit with seats that some of our testers would have preferred to be bigger, and, particularly, longer under the thighs. So far, so Mini. That is, of course, so long as you continue to cast your gaze forwards. Turn to the rear and it’s as if a bob cut has become a boot cut.
The rear seats have gone, as too would the headroom if they had remained in place. In their place is a small shelf and a larger than expected cubby through to the boot. Given the general hopelessness of the hatchback’s rear seats, this entirely covered load bay might well make the Coupé a more usable alternative to the hatch for some buyers. Access is good, too, available via a wide, lengthy and heavy rear hatch.
