Review of the new MINI Convertible Range

If you thought there was a kerfuffle over the launch of the now not quite so 'new' MINI back in 2001, just wait until you try to place your order for the classy Convertible version. Particularly in the summer months, this car remains a must-have motoring accessory.

Just look at the car. The styling is beautifully resolved and that's all the more surprising given that most small cars resemble prams as soon as you take a hacksaw to the roof. There have been some really sorry attempts at bringing us appealing little convertibles down the years but few have managed to look as good as the MINI Convertible and none of those that did have space for four passengers inside.

Built alongside existing MINI models at Plant Oxford - the company's posh sounding name for the Cowley factory - the Convertible is offered in One, Cooper and Cooper S guises with just the diesel engine being passed over for this model. Prices start from £13,595.

One of the key aims when designing the Convertible was to offer the fun of top-down motoring without sacrificing too much in terms of space and driving dynamics. Imagine a shoe box with the lid on it. It's quite rigid but if you pop the lid off it suddenly becomes a rather wobbly thing. The same applies to convertible cars when their hard tops are removed and a lot of work goes into remedial reinforcement work to rectify this. If you've ever wondered why soft top cars are often heavier than their tin top equivalents, now you know. MINI claim their Convertible offers the same go-kart style handling as the hatch and this is testament to thorough bracing. Weight has crept up and as a result acceleration is a little blunted compared to the hard top sibling but the One will still hit 60mph in 11.6 seconds and the Cooper will stop the watch in a very reasonable 9.6 seconds. Get the Cooper S and we're talking 7.4s, that should be fast enough for most.

"Most small cars resemble prams as soon as you take a hacksaw to the roof. The MINI Convertible is different"

The roof itself is a fully automatic fabric affair, MINI wisely choosing to reject the far more complex folding hard top fashion. Opting for this more complex engineering solution would not only have ruined the MINI's shape but also severely impinged on its luggage space. As it stands, the MINI retains a characteristic profile with the roof in place yet looks appealingly cheeky with the hood down. Press a button once and the roof slides back by 40cm, creating a sunroof effect. Press it again and the hood retracts fully, folding down behind the rear seats. It's not the neatest stowing arrangement but it only takes 15 seconds to get there and you'll retain a healthy 120 litres of storage space in the boot.

The boot itself is worth taking a look at and it's not often I find myself saying that in a road test. It's redolent of the original Mini insofar as it has a drop down lid which can double as a loading platform. A pair of steel cables mounted on a sprung retractor act as boot hinges and can hold up to 80kg which in old money is nigh on 13 stone. With the roof in place - i.e. up - there's 165 litres of stowage space but those wishing to transport bulkier items are also accommodated. By flicking a pair of levers located in the boot, the rear fastening of the roof can be detached, allowing the entire rear section to be raised. This in turn creates a wider space through which bigger items can be loaded. Couple that with the folding rear seats and you'll be able to jemmy in some surprisingly loads. MINI claim a total capacity of 605 litres.

The Convertible features two exclusive paint finishes - Hot Orange and Cool Blue - while the popular Hyper Blue shade is now more widely available. The Cooper offers a choice of three hood colours - black, blue and green whilst the One Convertible is supplied with a black roof. The Cooper can also be identified by its body-coloured door mirrors and the Cooper S by the letterbox air intake on its nose.

The interior has been spiced up a little with body-coloured dashboards offered as an option in addition to the more familiar silver, anthracite, aluminium and wood. The upholstery choices number no fewer than 14 with cloth, part-leather and full leather options. Standard trim on the MINI One is now Cloth Dragon and the Cooper gets Cloth Octagon. The choice of alloy wheel designs is also a little wider with the addition of a 17-inch five-star bullet alloy that's only available for the Convertibles.

There's no doubt the MINI is a controversial design. The first thing that strikes you is its size. Its definitely more Midi than anything else, with some proportions that look as if the designers have decided to supersize their sketches. The waistline of the car is high and the roofline is low, creating a hot-rod style 'cut and shut' effect in profile. Whilst elements of the original are preserved, the effect is one of subtle influencing rather than a more slavish modern resurrection of Alex Issigonis' brainchild.

Despite its unashamedly retro appeal, the MINI has some reassuringly modern foundations. Clamber underneath and you'll spot BMW's Z-axle multi-link rear suspension. The rear seats of the MINI Convertible are still best left for children but the interior is a delightful place to detail spot. Retro themes abound, from the chrome detailing to the cavernous door bins. The centrally mounted speedometer and winged MINI badging all act as visual throwbacks to the Fifties. The Convertible model's chromed grille and restyled tail lights have also been copied by the latest MINI hatch versions.

The MINI Convertible has Peugeot's big selling 206CC firmly in its sights and if prices remain sensible, the French company should be more than a mite concerned. The MINI adventure shows no sign of letting up just yet.