New-generation car: British automotive maker Mini Cooper has announced the fourth-generation Cooper petrol hatchback, the brand's penultimate combustion-engined model. This new vehicle will be available in three and five-door configurations, as well as a soft-top convertible and a performance-oriented John Cooper Works version, according to the company.

The next-generation model will be constructed in the brand's Oxford facility, and it has many of the same design characteristics inside and out as the EV variant, it said.

Exterior, Interior

The petrol variant of the latest Mini Cooper features streamlined LED headlights, big hexagonal body-coloured grille, and triangular matrix LED tail lights, it added.

The horizontal gap between the top intakes holds BMW's smallest radar sensor, which works in conjunction with 12 ultrasonic sensors to provide driver assistance functions.

Inside the new petrol 3-door, a simple dashboard design highlights the OLED infotainment display in the middle. Mini claims that this is the first round OLED touchscreen in a production vehicle, displaying important information like road speed and fuel economy at the top and a menu bar at the bottom.

The gear selector is placed within a toggle bar, together with other vital functions such as the parking brake, start/stop key, experience mode switch, and volume control. Instead, the centre console will receive a wireless charging station.

Powertrain

Under the hood, buyers will find an upgraded 1.5-litre B38 three-cylinder and 2.0-litre B48 four-cylinder engines dubbed the Mini Cooper C and Mini Cooper S.

The former generates 156 PS and 230 Nm of torque, accelerates from 0 to 100 kmph in 7.7 seconds.

The Mini Cooper S produces 204 PS and 300 Nm, enough to complete the 100 kmph race in 6.6 seconds. Both models come with automatic transmissions alone.

Mini currently offers the third-generation Cooper hatchback in India with both petrol and electric engine options, and we expect the fourth-generation range to arrive later this year.

The petrol-powered vehicle is currently available for  Rs 42.70 lakh, while the EV starts from Rs 53.50 lakh.