2013 MINI Paceman Launch Review
Vehicle Type: Premium compact crossover
Power/torque: 135kW/260Nm
Fuel economy listed: 6.6 l/100km (manual), 7.5 l/100km (automatic)
Models driven: MINI Paceman Cooper S automatic
What’s hot: Heads will turn, handling is super-sharp
What’s not: Interior ergonomics aren’t great, weight impacts performance
X-factor: The simple fact of being different; that, and the other simple fact of being fun to drive
OVERVIEW
Yes, we know the very mention of the Paceman is bound to rub certain people the wrong way.
Tweed-clad MINIphiles will surely pop a blood vessel when they eyeball a Paceman for the first time, and cynics will no doubt dismiss MINI’s latest genre-defying product as yet another attempt to prise wads of cash from the designer handbags of “style conscious” motorists.
And can you blame them? Here we have a crossover that doesn’t have AWD (not in Australia, at least), is not terribly off-roadable nor very practical, and with styling that is bound to polarise opinion.
But then again, MINI makes no pretence about practicality or off-roadability. It may be based on the Countryman SUV, but MINI insists that the Paceman is, in fact, a SAC - a Sports Activity Coupe.
But even that three-letter acronym is a bit useless.
Even after a day at the wheel we’re still trying to figure out exactly which pigeonhole the Paceman belongs in. But this we do know: it is a lot of fun to drive.
THE INTERIOR
It’s much like the Countryman inside, but one that has had the two rear doors lopped off and boasts even less room in the rear.
The dash is virtually identical, and the Countryman’s silly aircraft-throttle-with-an-identity-crisis handbrake lever has also been grafted into the Paceman.
The Countryman’s central rail system can also be found inside the Paceman, although to ease rear passenger access it doesn’t run the full length of the passenger cabin as standard (although you can option a one-piece rail at no extra cost if you wish).
What is surprising, though, is rear seat comfort. Despite the Paceman’s low roofline, rear headroom is actually more than acceptable and so is knee and foot-room for passengers of average height.
Having two individual rear seats also promotes passenger comfort, although the Paceman’s narrow hips means shoulder-room isn’t exactly generous.
Also worth considering (if measuring one up for the family) is that the high beltline means younger kids will barely be able to see out the rear windows.
Up front you get manually-adjusted cloth sports-seats as standard, with three kinds of leather upholstery being optional.