Overview

MINI has broadened its line-up to include more practical cars and even SUVs in recent years, but the British firm’s bread and butter has always been the simple three-door Hatch, which has often been among the best superminis on sale. 

The car was replaced in 2024 and, as part of the generation change, MINI gave it a new name. It’s now called the Cooper rather than the Hatch – and the engines powering the car are now flagged using letters rather than words. There are also two versions of the Cooper available. A petrol model and a standalone, electric MINI Cooper E. 

They look almost identical from a distance, (apart for the EV’s lack of grey plastic wheelarch surrounds), but these two cars are very different underneath. The petrol model shares most of its underpinnings to the previous MINI Hatch whereas the new EV is based on a new, dedicated electric platform. This aims to bring minimal compromise in terms of range and packaging to the EV, especially compared to the previous MINI Electric.

We’ve covered the MINI Cooper E review separately, so here our focus is on the petrol MINI Cooper C and S after extensively testing them both in the UK. We’ve even had a long-term MINI Cooper S on our fleet to learn what the car is like to live with every day.

Like its predecessor, the petrol MINI Cooper is produced at the firm’s factory near Oxford and while still clearly a ‘MINI’, it gets a new front-end design and more striking rear lights that are even customisable. But the biggest changes are inside, with the Cooper getting a simplified interior that’s centred around a new circular OLED touchscreen. It’s the same as we’ve seen on the new MINI Countryman SUV. A range of new recycled materials have also been introduced to improve the car’s sustainability credentials. 

Engine choice consists of two petrol engines, each with more power than before. There’s also a sportier John Cooper Works hot hatch on the way. There are three versions of the Cooper – or ‘styles’ as MINI calls them – called Classic, Sport and Exclusive, each getting a slightly different look and interior trim. 

Standard equipment is generous across all models. Every version features a full suite of driver assistance technology, dual-zone climate control and a reversing camera. There are three options pack available, too which group a number of extras together. The only one we recommend is the £2,000 Level 1 pack, which brings heated front seats, a head-up display and wireless smartphone charging. 

Click through the next few pages to read everything you need to know about the new MINI Cooper, including its practicality, how much it costs to run, what it’s like to drive – and ultimately whether we recommend buying one.

If you’d like to learn more about how reached our verdict on the MINI Cooper, check out how we test cars explainer page. Alternatively, if you’d rather watch than read, scroll down for our video review of the range-topping MINI Cooper S.

Watch our MINI Cooper S video review