• New circular touchscreen dominates the interior
• Great quality throughout
• But few physical buttons used throughout

How is the quality and layout?

While a lot of the MINI Cooper feels more like a facelift, what most certainly is all-new is the interior. It’s quite radically different to the previous model and features a cabin used across the full MINI line-up, including the new Countryman SUV and upcoming Aceman crossover. 

MINI has worked to minimise physical buttons, and though this is usually something we at Parkers are against, the Cooper’s tech works so well that it largely succeeds, with a few exceptions which we’ll come onto later. Interior quality is excellent – this MINI still feels like a premium product in a pint-sized package. 

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MINI has also injected lots of fun into the Cooper’s interior, with a range of interesting dashboard and door card textiles, which vary depending on the trim level. All new Coopers are also free of leather, with a range of more sustainable materials adopted across the cabin. One small gripe is the overly chunky steering wheel which can be awkward to hold – it’s a similar story on many BMWs too. 

Infotainment and tech

The star of the show in the new Cooper is its new interior, which centres around a cool 9.4-inch circular OLED touchscreen – the first of its kind to be used in a production car. Most of the car’s features are operated through it and the MINI’s screen is one of the best around as. It’s very responsive, well laid out and the voice control works very well. The climate buttons to change the temperature are quite small and can be fiddly to change, however. 

We’re also not a fan of the speed being only on the main touchscreen (there’s no standard instrument cluster) so it means looking away from the road at the speed. A head-up display is included as part of a £2,000 Level 1 option package and is well worth choosing as it also brings wireless smartphone charging, heated seats and keyess entry. 

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There’s a great range of technology available on the new Cooper, including configurable LED rear lights and also a projector behind the main touchscreen that displays cool ambient lighting across the dashboard at night. 

Comfort

• Supportive seats
• Low seating position adopted
• Massage and electric functions available

The seats in the Mini Cooper are excellent. Even entry-level Classic versions come with leather-like upholstery, with lots of adjustment to help you get comfortable. There’s equally plenty of adjustment for the steering wheel, making it easy to find the ideal driving position. If you like a sporty-feeling driving experience, the Cooper’s seats can also be put nice and low.

As part of the pricey £6,000 Level 3 options pack (only available with the Cooper S engine), you also get fully electric front seats with memory function. The driver’s seat also gets additional lumbar support, and even a massage function, which is quite a rarity on a small car. 

Rear comfort isn’t quite so impressive, not least because the act of getting yourself into the rear seats isn’t great unless you’re smaller or especially flexible, and of course there’s limited room on offer. As we’ve mentioned already, the three-door Cooper is still best to be treated as a two-seater for most of the time.