2016 Mini Convertible: First Impressions

Getting its North American debut at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show, the redesigned 2016 Mini Convertible is based on the coupe — or Hardtop as Mini calls it — that was redone and upsized for the 2015 model year. As we reported in our First Look, the Convertible shares the redone Hardtop’s changes, including new engines, interior design and features.

More 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show Coverage

I’m one of the people who thought the Hardtop lost some of its charm with its increased size — despite many other unquestionable improvements. But the Convertible, I reasoned, could benefit from some more space, especially at a time when larger convertibles, especially four-seaters, are rare. Sadly, I didn’t find it.

By the numbers, the backseat gains about an inch of legroom, which ain’t nothing, and the rear headroom and shoulder room both gain a half-inch. But I climbed back there and found a backrest that’s uncomfortably bolt upright, and side panels that encroach inward higher up; elbowroom is better than shoulder room. Shame.

Cargo volume is also practically unchanged at 5.7 cubic feet when the top is down, though it now increases to 7.6 cubic feet with the top up. Levers on either side of the cavelike trunk raise the top panel to simplify loading and unloading — but only when the top is up. Fortunately the rear seats still fold, a rarity among convertibles.

Apart from the modesty of the interior volume increase, the redesigned car impresses. It looks reasonably good externally, even with the cloth top up. The seat adjustments and power-lock buttons are now where they belong, and with the exception of a few items, like the vinyl sun visors, the materials are high quality in the Cooper and Cooper S trims, both of which also had some optional equipment in the show cars.

I especially liked the trim panels, including matte-finish wood in one car and fiber alloy in the other. The Cooper S featured the lush, new diamond-stitched saddle leather, which Mini calls Chester Malt Brown, where “Chester” represents the look of English chesterfield sofas, and not the name of the steer that gave his life for the interior.

The optional 8.8-inch display looks enormous in this small car, teamed with the Mini Connected multifunction controller recognized as BMW’s iDrive, one of the best systems available without a touch-screen. The standard screen is 6.5 inches.

For the rest we’ll have to get some top-down, on-the-road time in the Convertible, which hits dealerships in March 2016.