- Brian Byrne
Mini D on sale in June
28 May 2003: BMW's new Mini D diesel goes on sale in Ireland from mid-June with a price tag of E22,400.
It is the first-ever car bearing the Mini badge to be an oilburner, and BMW have modified Toyota's D4-D 1.4-litre engine to suit the new application, mainly by remapping the ignition characteristics to account for the fact that the Mini D comes with a 6-speed gearbox.
The Mini D is claimed to return around 59mpg, and running costs are further eased by the fact that it only needs an oil-change service every 25,000 miles of use.
Other efficiencies come from details such as the electric engine heating and an oil/water heat exchanger to warm up the engine more quickly than normal diesels, which will also contribute to an extended longevity of the engine.
BMW in Ireland expect that up to 15 per cent of Mini sales will be accounted for by the new diesel model. Traditionally, diesel sales in the supermini segment are very tiny: Toyota, for instance, is only selling around 50 diesel units of its Yaris a year at the moment.
Christian Ertl of BMW Austria, the location of the company's diesel development headquarters, said that it is the first time BMW has bought in an engine, and the decision was based on a mixture of the projected sales of the diesel car as well as 'wanting the most modern small diesel available'.
He also said that because of the light weight of the all-aluminium engine, no changes were necessary to the suspension or any other parts of the original Mini One.
A key characteristic of the latest engine in the Mini range is high torque at just 2000rpm. It gives a possible 0-100 km/h in around 13.8sec, but at least equally important is the 'elasticity' of the car's performance in everyday driving, where 80-120 km/h takes just about 12.4sec in 4th gear, very important in overtaking situations.
Nicola Bissett, brand manager for Mini in Ireland, said yesterday that insurers suggest there will be an insurance premium cut of 10-15 per cent, 'though it all depends on individual circumstances'.
The Mini One and Mini Cooper were introduced in Ireland in 2001. The Cooper S was launched here last year, and the D makes the third discrete model available. A cabriolet has long been mooted, but Christian Ertl wouldn't be drawn on whether or when it would be forthcoming.
Some 600-plus Mini units have been sold in Ireland to date. Buyers have been divided between the 'old nostalgics' who loved the original Mini and 'also love the new one', and the 25-35 demographic 'with lots of money' and 'who want to lead at trend'.
The diesel version is expected to gain buyers with a more mature environmental attitude, and who have economy high in their considerations.
©2003 irishcar.com