Nor'West News: June 22, 2023

12
Thursday June 22 2023
Mini E agile, effortless and exclusive
• By Bob Nettleton
ELECTRIFICATION adds
another chapter to the epic story
of British automotive icon, the
Mini – now with 64 years on the
clock and going stronger, cleaner
and greener than ever as a bona
fide electric vehicle.
It’s fitting that a variant destined
to power the Mini brand
well into the future is offered in
the company’s traditional threedoor
body style of the ground
breaking original, launched in
1959.
And, rather appropriately, it’s
built in the UK at the Mini factory
in Oxford, the birthplace of
this little legend.
The Mini E has a claimed
range of 233km. This means
out of town excursions demand
careful planning, so you always
know where the nearest fast
charger is. When you find a
50kW fast-charger you can boost
the battery to 80 per cent in 36
minutes.
The Mini Electric Hatch is
based on the distinctive design
of the three-door petrol powered
Cooper S and has distinctive
www.drivesouth.co.nz
exterior accents for a unique
first-ever Mini EV.
For a very small car, albeit a
lavishly appointed one, its sports
a very large $71,155 price sticker.
With a 32.6kWh latestgeneration
lithium-ion battery
on board, producing 135kW of
power and 270nm of torque,
these figures use their collective
heft to produce a quick-smart
0-100km/h acceleration time of
7.3 seconds.
Consistently smooth and
responsive power delivery make
for an enjoyable and fun car to
drive along with its ability to do
everything so effortlessly. This
is urban emission-free motoring
at its finest. A single speed
transmission does a fine job and
is an understated contributor to
making this such a impressive
vehicle.
On thing that strikes you when
stepping into the passenger compartment
is just how small it is.
There’s a reason why this hatch is
called a Mini? If you are used to
driving a larger vehicle, it takes a
while to adjust. It’s a comfortable
two-seater with enough room for
a couple of smaller types to shoe
Incorporating
best motorbuys
horn their way into the back seat
and park up for short trips.
All round visibility is good
for a relatively low-slung car, although
it can make entering and
leaving the vehicle a challenge,
if you aren’t as lithe and nimble
these days.
You’ll need to travel light and
pack clever, as the rear hatch is
tiny. Depositing a decent-size
soft overnight bag consumes
most of the available luggage real
estate.
This is one of the more lavishly
equipped cars in its class – and
so it should be with its hefty $70k
plus asking price. From whatever
angle you look at it, this is a
seriously large sum of money for
such a petite car.
Mini attempts to take some of
the sting out of the price with an
exhaustive list of standard features.
These include 17-inch alloy
wheels (pretty big boots for a
small car), Adaptive LED Headlights,
an exclusive Mini Electric
interior, leather sport seats with
the driver and front passenger
seats heated, head-up and digital
dash and head-up displays.
Electrification is one of the
CAR CITY
EST 1973
Opposite
Uprising
Rock
Climbing
best things to happen to the legendary
Mini. It sets up perfectly
to flourish in an automotive
world transitioning – and it’s
happening faster than you
think, from internal combustion
engines, to electric motors and
batteries.
While this is a defining moment
in the life of one of the
most recognised cars on our
roads, it retains the core values
of the brand, such as agile and
almost perfectly balanced handling
with terrier-like grip.
The steering is a Mini masterpiece
offering plenty of road
feel and a talent for obediently
placing the car where you want it
on the road, with both speed and
accuracy.
Rating out of 10:
Performance 8; Handling
8; Build Quality 7;
Comfort 6; Styling 8;
Value for money 5; Safety
– 5-star ANCAP crash
rating; Clean car rebate –
$8750 until June 30 then
$7015 from July 1.
Overall points out of
10: 7.5
196 FERRY RD!
FROM NO
DEPOSIT
Low 53,000kmS
NOW $27,990
2018 Toyota C-HR
1200cc turbo, AWD, multibags, reverse camera,
5 star safety rating, 2 keys, very cool!
FROM NO
DEPOSIT
NOW $11,990
FROM NO
FROM NO
FROM NO
FROM NO
FROM NO
DEPOSIT NOW $4,990 DEPOSIT NOW $15,990 DEPOSIT NOW $5,990 DEPOSIT NOW $12,990 DEPOSIT NOW $7,990
Low 77,000kmS
2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
2 litre intercooled turbo, brake assist,
electronic braking, reverse camera.
1996 HONDA CRV
2 litre, auto, sunroof, cambelt done.
Drives great.
6 SPEED
2013 Nissan Navara D/C 2WD
2300cc, diesel turbo, 6 speed, hard lid,
multibags, service history, drives nice.
7 SEatEr 7 SEatEr 8 SEatEr
2005 Nissan Cube
2006 Mitsubishi Pajero 4WD 2006 Nissan Presage
1500cc auto, airbags, cool look, great 3800cc, auto, multibags, reverse
2.5 litre auto,twin sliding doors, reversing
for family or promo vehicle.
camera, 157,000kms, great tow vehicle. camera, low 87,000km’s, drives superb.
FROM NO
DEPOSIT
NOW $12,990
FROM NO
FROM NO
FROM NO
FROM NO
FROM NO
DEPOSIT NOW $27,990 DEPOSIT NOW $9,990 DEPOSIT NOW $7,990 DEPOSIT NOW $12,990 DEPOSIT NOW $8,990
SOLD
2013 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo
2 litre auto, multibags, reverse camera,
leather, tiptronic, push button start,
Bluetooth, superb, cool colour.
Low 53,000kmS
2018 Toyota C-HR
1200cc turbo, AWD, multibags, reverse
camera, 5 star safety rating, 2 keys,
very cool!
4wD
2014 Holden Captiva LT
2231cc, diesel, 6 speed auto, A/C, ABS,
multiple airbags, immobiliser, traction
control, brake assist.
7 SEatEr
2008 Subaru Exiga
2 litre auto, multibags, reverse camera,
drives great.
Low 63,000km'S
2005 Mercedes SLK 280
3L auto, electric roof, ABS, CD, low km's
leather, reversing camera.
DIESEL tUrBo
2014 Ford Mondeo TD
2 Litre Diesel, Turbo, CD, A/C,
Multibags, cruise control, only
114,000km’s, so cheap to run!!.
OPEN 6 DAYS • NO ON ROAD COSTS • Ph (03) 379 4254