A SMARTER KIND OF MINI HATCH (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 82

Originally launched in 2014, the third generation F56 version of the 3 Door MINI Hatch got a useful mid-term update in 2018 to create the car we're going to look at here. In this form, it became smarter and more sophisticated - and could be more individual too. Plus by this point in the F56 design's life, some re-fettling work had been done on the punchy range of eager three and four cylinder engines. Let's check it out as a used buy.

Modelsword count: 17

3dr Hatch (1.2, 1.5, 2.0 petrol/ 1.5 diesel [One, Cooper, Cooper D, Cooper SD, Cooper S, JCW])

Historyword count: 384

As a brand, MINI has come to mean all kinds of things but it's in this simplest 3-Door Hatch form that the company's products are most iconically recognisable. This third generation 'F56' design was first launched in 2014, but four years on was significantly updated to create the car we're going to look at here. This MK3 model didn't really need any fundamental improvements but it's a fashion-led product that must match the style and technological trends of the moment. And, sure enough, in this revised guise, all that was brought bang up to date. As before, 5 Door Hatch and Convertible variants shared showroom space with this 3 Door model and got the same range of improvements made in this 2018 facelift. There were plenty of them too. The piercingly bright headlights evolved to use full-LED technology, as did the trendy new Union Jack-style tail lamps. Mechanically, the re-fettled engine range saw a de-tuned version of the Cooper model's 1.5-litre three cylinder unit make it into the base MINI One variant, plus the four cylinder 2.0-litre powerplant used further up the range was significantly overhauled in pursuit of greater efficiency. As part of this update, the optional Steptronic auto gearbox now had seven speeds; there was a whole fresh level of connectivity via upgraded 'MINI Connected' services. And the brand introduced a 'MINI Yours Customised' programme that set a fresh industry standard for the level to which buyers could personalise their cars. Plus this MINI could be lighter, it was better equipped and it could now come with a wider range of options. So much was changed as part of this update - but thankfully at the same time, nothing that was really important was different. This little 3 Door Hatch model remained still the purest expression of 'MINI-ness'; it could still charm you with its dinky looks and go-kart handling. And it was still a go-to choice for those wanting a style-conscious urban runabout with much of the technology of a larger car. All these attributes remained, but by 2018 had been developed over more than half a century of MINI history into well what? We'll see here. A further update followed in 2021, lasting the F56 design through to the end of production and the end of sales in early 2024.

What You Getword count: 399

Headlamp styling has always been one of the defining elements of MINI design and a lot of work went into this updated F56-era model to further develop that. The lights may look much the same as 2014-2018-era pre-facelift F56 models, but the full-LED technology behind them was very different, particularly if you get a car whose original owners ordered the optional 'Matrix' adaptive beams that automatically extinguish parts of the lamp that might dazzle other road users. Here, we're looking at the 3 Door Hatch version, but MINI also spun five-door and Clubman estate body styles off this third generation F56 platform for those needing a bit more space, plus as usual there's a Convertible variant too. This 3 Door variant though, is the body shape that really defines 'MINI-ness' though and not much has changed with this facelift about the dinky, power-packed profile, which from new came with the no-cost option of a black, white or body-coloured roof. It's at the rear though, that this facelifted F56 model is most easily recognisable as the improved post-2017-era design. The Union Flag-style LED tail lamps are the reason why. Get behind the wheel and it's all quite BMW-like. If you've driven the pre-facelift F56 model, you'll know that the huge central display doesn't function as a speedo in the way that it did with earlier MINI Hatches. Less characterfully but more practically, the speedo here was re-located to a pod in front of the steering wheel where it's flanked with a crescent-moon rev counter and fuel gauge. All of this freed the central area up for much more infotainical trickery. By 2018, the screen was 6.5-inches in size across the range as standard and could be upgraded from new to 8.8-inches in size as part of the 'Navigation Plus Pack' which included all the latest 'MINI Connected' media features. In the back, legroom remains very cramped indeed if there's an adult of more than average height in front of you. If that's going to be an issue, the five-door version of this car (which gets an extra 72mm of length between the front are rear wheels) will obviously suit you better. What is quite impressive, even in the 3 Door model, is the amount of head and elbow room you get. In the back, there's a 311-litre boot. With everything flat, a surprisingly large 731-litre load capacity area reveals itself.

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