2014 Mini five-door hatch unveiled

Mini has been teasing the five-door version of the traditional hatchback for quite some time now. The British automaker has finally taken the virtual veils off the new model. Joining the new three-door hatch that hit Australia in April, the new model is known simply as the Mini Cooper five-door.

The exterior styling of the Mini four-door resembles traditional Mini models, with its hexagonal radiator grille, headlights and tail lights with wide chrome surround along with the side turn indicator element and black body bordering from the new Mini.

The three-door Mini has been criticised for its lack of space both in the back seats and in the boot and the five-door aims to address some of these issues. The new car is 4,005mm long, 1,727mm wide, 1,425mm in height and rides on a 2,567mm wheelbase. The five-door Mini Cooper is 162mm longer and 11mm taller than the regular three-door Mini Cooper hatch, and is 72mm longer between the wheels.

Mini claims the additional wheelbase length translates directly to a 72mm boost in rear legroom and foot space, while the five-door also offers 15mm more headroom and 61mm more interior width at elbow level. Storage space has likewise increased, growing by 67 litres to 278 litres with the 60:40 rear seats upright and 941 litres when laid flat.

The 2014 Mini five-door is equipped with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine which produces 190PS of power and a peak torque of 280Nm. The new car sprints from 0-100kmph in 6.9 seconds with a top speed of 232kmph when combined with the manual gearbox.

The car is expected to go on sale in Europe in September this year. The 2014 Mini five-door is expected to be priced at Rs 12.9 lakh (exclusive of taxes and duties).