Mini Cooper SD arrives

Perhaps the surprising thing about the Cooper SD is that it has taken so long for Mini to add a performance diesel to the range. After all, it’s a tactic that parent brand BMW has successfully used for years with models such as the 123d and 335d.

Available across all body styles - including the Convertible - Cooper SD variants get a N47 2.0 litre turbo diesel engine that produces 140 bhp (105 kW / 143 PS). Based on the 1.6 litre unit already found in the One D and Cooper D, the larger capacity motor boasts 305 Nm (225 lb/ft) of torque which is available from just 1,750 rpm.



Significantly, that figure beats the 260 Nm (191 lb/ft) that the John Cooper Works versions can muster. Combined with a standard lightweight six-speed manual gearbox, the result is decent - if not seriously quick - performance.



As expected, the Cooper SD benefits from Minimalism technology, the Mini equivalent of BMW’s Efficient Dynamics programme. Employing features such as stop / start, gear change indication, brake energy regeneration, a diesel particulate filter and electric power steering has kept both fuel consumption and emissions impressively low.

Model	0-62 mph (100 km/h) secs	Top speed mph (km/h)	Combined cycle mpg (l/100km)	CO2 g/km
Cooper SD Hatch	8.1	134 (215)	65.7 (4.3)	114
Cooper SD Clubman	8.6	134 (215)	64.2 (4.4)	115
Cooper SD Convertible	8.7	130 (210)	62.8 (4.5)	118
Cooper SD Countryman	9.3	123 (198)	61.4 (4.6)	122
Cooper SD Countryman ALL4	9.4	121 (195)	57.6 (4.9)	130

Available as an option will be a six-speed automatic transmission. This new gearbox will also be offered in the Cooper D although, for compatibility reasons, when specified the usual 1.6 litre engine is substituted for a down-tuned version of the 2.0 litre one.



Visually, the Cooper SD borrows its styling cues from the Cooper S. These include a bonnet air scoop, centrally-mounted twin tailpipes, a roof spoiler and a larger intake below the front number plate.



Scheduled for launch in spring 2011, pricing for the Mini Cooper SD line-up has yet to be confirmed. However, it’s reckoned that in the UK Cooper SD models will cost £850 more than their Cooper S equivalents.

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