• Cooper is best treated as a two-seater
• Tight rear space
• The boot isn’t very big either

If you’re buying a MINI hatchback, spaciousness likely isn’t a top priority. Not surprisingly, there are a great number of roomier rivals, with the Renault Clio and Volkswagen Polo being two of the best cars in its class. 

MINI has kept deliberately compact, meaning that space is roughly comparable to its predecessor. This is a car best treated as a two-seater, with the rear seats only really suited to children. That said, those upfront get the feeling of plenty of space – there’s the characteristically long MINI dashboard and plenty of room between the front occupants. An optional panoramic sunroof also helps flood the cabin with light. Access into the rear isn’t the simplest, and any taller front-seat occupants will seriously compromise legroom, though headroom is never a problem. 

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Unlike lots of rivals, the Cooper can only seat four, with no middle rear seat, unlike lots of rivals that do come with five seatbelts as standard. It’s worth noting that MINI will soon introduce a five-door version of the Cooper, bringing a set of rear doors for easier access and a slightly stretched wheelbase that should make it a bit more suitable if you need to carry passengers in the rear. The five-door model will also only be available as a petrol and not as an EV. 

Boot space and storage

Again, if you’re looking for a small car with a big boot, the MINI Cooper is probably not the car for you. The room on offer is tight at 210 litres, and you’ll struggle to fit more than a few shopping bags or a small suitcase into the boot. The rear seats do individually fold if you needed greater space, but there’s quite a big lip between them. 

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Storage space is fairly generous, however, with various big cupholders dotted across the cabin. As MINI has moved the gear selector to the dashboard, it also frees up the transmission tunnel, which can double up as a storage space for keeping various items and change. An optional storage box is also perfect for keeping items out of sight or just to tidy up the look of the cabin. 

Is it easy to park?

MINI hatchbacks have long been a hugely popular choice around towns and cities, and a key part of that is down to their size. At just over four metres in length, it’s smaller than a lot of other superminis, and is ideal for narrow streets or parking spaces. 

Though the bonnet is quite long for a car of this size, we found you get excellent sight of each corner thanks to the bulbous bonnet. Unlike lots of rivals, a reversing camera is also now standard across the range, and as part of the Level 3 option package, self-parking is also available.

Safety

• Latest Cooper is yet to be tested by Euro NCAP
• Generous safety kit
• Car isn’t dramatically different to the previous model

The new MINI Cooper is yet to be tested by Euro NCAP, but it’s one of the strongest small cars in terms of safety. The structure of the car hasn’t changed dramatically to its predecessor, and though the old car only scored four stars, it was marked down for its lack of safety kit. 

This has now been remedied with the Cooper now featuring a generous range of features, including autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, traffic sign recongition and a useful reversing camera. Features such as adaptive cruise control, self-parking and blind spot monitoring are all provided from the various option packs available.