Mini Paceman review (25/09/2013)
And now we have a new one to add to the mix — the Paceman. The Paceman is effectively a two door — sorry, Sports Activity Coupe — version of the Countryman, which in itself comes with the appellation “Compact SUV” although it is more of a mish-mash between a regular family car and a crossover ... if you follow.
The bewildering ability of the Germans to come up with new and clever versions of the basic Mini concept has to come to a conclusion sometime, but — it would appear — that time is not going to be anytime soon.
But there is an interesting cultural sub-text to all this which was voiced to me recently by a nephew of mine, a streetwise 21-year-old who considers himself to be an expert on all things motoring ... and cool.
“The Mini would be great,” he opined, “if only women hadn’t hijacked it. Guys my age couldn’t be seen dead driving one.”
An interesting thought and one Mini are undoubtedly trying to address. Have you seen the recent TV ad campaign? “Mini. For Life,” it claims, showing all manner of people, including an older codger, enjoying the hell out of their Minis. All very well, you might think, but is it telling the full story?
My experience of observing the modern era Mini is that 90% of them are driven by the fairer sex. Sure you’ll see a few hairy-chested men whizzing around in their GP2 John Cooper versions, but not many.
Now there have been obvious examples of cars down the years which have particularly appealed to women — small coupes, convertibles of any description and big f*** off jeeps in which they can lose their shackles and inhibitions about supposedly being the less capable of the sexes when it comes to muscling hither and thither. But Mini may actually have become the only “women first” brand.
Of course I am not saying that’s a bad thing, just something of a sociological surprise.
That being the case, who will be driving the Paceman, then? Well on the basis of the demographics already established by the brand, it will be a slightly older woman than those who fancy a regular Mini. It will also be a lady unencumbered by family requirements who will enjoy the slightly higher seating position and the generally more secure feeling provided by the bulkier, if still good-looking design of the car.
And what of the car itself? Well, the test model was the Cooper SD ALL4 version which, as you might just have guessed, is fitted with all wheel drive. Now, if the Paceman singularly is something of a niche model, then this particular one will certainly sell in small numbers, but that doesn’t mean it is terrible, by any stretch.
Given that it is rather larger than most other Minis, the Paceman is not quite the go-kart its siblings are, but it is still very driver-oriented and while body-roll is well suppressed, it is still not as darty as others in the family.
It does have a firm suspension set-up but the surprising thing is that it is not at all crashy over uneven surfaces and maintains its decorum well in most circumstances.
Having all four wheels driven does add a new dimension to the experience and the peace of mind you get from this allows you press on more in poor conditions. In general the handling is sharp and true and the ride quality not bad at all, even despite the standard run-flat tyres.
The engine is one we are all by now familiar with, coming as it does from the BMW parts bin. There’s plenty of grunt on offer and the substantial amounts of torque ensure a pleasing experience. That said, the extra weight of this machine — by comparison with a regular Mini it is on the hefty side — is evidenced by the 9.3 second 0-100mph capability.
I was also not convinced by the slightly notchy gearbox and found its far too easy to engage reverse by mistake rather than first gear.
The extra size is a boon for passengers though and from their point of view this is a much better proposition, provided there’s only a crew of four. As ever, the interior has a very premium feel and is a very nice place to be.
All told this is something of a curiosity, not least because it will sell in such limited numbers, but also because this version of the car actually cost more than the related — and frankly more useable — Countryman.
I liked the Paceman. I better get a wig.
