Overview

The MINI Paceman is the seventh car in the MINI range. It’s a three door coupe-styled soft-roader (the looks of a 4x4 and with the high driving position) and is designed with a sloping roof just like the highly successful Range Rover Evoque.

A coupe with the practicality of a hatchback

Up front there is plenty of space but sadly the rear is not as spacious. Even though the rear of the Paceman comes with two individual seats, legroom is at a premium. Only children will comfortably fit in the rear behind a driver and passenger of average size.

The MINI Paceman has a two-section version of the MINI Centre Rail storage system (borrowed from the Countryman) between the seats as standard, while a full length version can be ordered as an option.

With seats in place there is a load space of 330 litres and when the rear seats are folded this increases to a maximum carrying capacity of 1,080 litres.

Quick responsive handling

Whether you like the term or not, MINI is famous for its go-kart handling with direct steering that responds immediately you turn the wheel. The Paceman is no different and through the twisty stuff the MINI Paceman is a lot of fun.

MINI has offered buyers the choice of two suspensions – you can opt for the normal suspension or the sports suspension as standard you meaning you will have nothing extra to pay. It’s great to see MINI catering for both customers wanting comfort or a more sporty drive.

The best engine for enthusiasts is the 1.6-litre petrol engine under the bonnet of the Cooper S. Those wanting fun and decent fuel economy should opt for the 112bhp 1.6-litre unit in the MINI Cooper D.

Four engine options

Four engines will be available from launch, a pair of petrol-powered units and a pair of diesel ones too.

The entry-level engine is the 1.6-litre 122bhp petrol and will get from zero to 62mph in 10.4 seconds. It’s reasonably frugal too averaging a claimed 47.1mpg on the combined cycle, while CO2 emissions are 140g/km.

The same engine is also available in Paceman S. It is tuned to deliver 184bhp and propelling the car to 62mph in 7.5 seconds and it will reach a top speed of 135mph.

For lower running costs you could always opt for one of the two diesel engines on offer. There’s an 112bhp 1.6-litre unit will complete the benchmark sprint in 10.8 seconds but it is the economy that is the highlight when talking about this power plant.

It has a claimed average figure of 64.2mpg while it is the most environmentally friendly engine on the range with CO2 emissions of 115g/km.

Four wheel drive available

Those looking for extra grip will be pleased to note that MINI’s ALL4 four-wheel-drive system will be available on Paceman Cooper D, SD and S models.

Read our full MINI Paceman review to see why it is so good to drive.