MINI FIrst (From Living Northeast)

MINI FIrst

1:40pm Thursday 25th February 2010

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BMW’s least expensive MINI is no hot hatchback, but it has plenty of other advantages, says Nigel Burton.

THE perennial problem with selling a premium-priced product is how to extend the brand’s reach without compromising its appeal.

That’s precisely the difficulty BMW faces with the MINI.

Years after it was launched, MINI remains the most desirable small car going, thanks to the Germans’ careful stewarding of the brand.

So what to do when dealers are clamouring for a cheaper entry level model?

Enter the MINI First, a budget Beemer that starts from £10,950 – an eyebrow-raising £1,500 less than the MINI One.

Introduced initially to tempt buyers hoping to take advantage of the UK’s scrappage scheme, the First has proven so popular it has earned a permanent place in the MINI line-up.

By happy circumstance, the First also undercuts the Fiat 500’s most popular model – the range-topping 1.3 diesel – by a few quid.

The First shares its 1,397cc engine with the One, but loses 20bhp dropping maximum power to only 74bhp, so it’s no hot hatchback.

With 1,135kg to pull around, the First takes 13.2sec to reach 62mph and has a top speed of 109mph.

The upside for younger drivers is likely to be a lower insurance bill and improved fuel consumption (an average of 53.3mpg). The detuned engine is also kinder to the environment averaging just 128g/km of CO2.

And helping to keep the bills down even further, the MINI First is available with MINI’s superb TLC package, which provides five years service and maintenance for a piffling £185.

Standard kit includes stability control and traction control, six airbags, an alarm and an immobiliser.

As per every other MINI, buyers can spec up the Mini First with a variety of extras sold in packages.

These range from £390 to £855 and add items such as air-con, alloys, a three-spoke leather steering wheel, Bluetooth connectivity and front fog lights.

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