New MINI is a five-star NCAP performer |
| 20 Apr 2007 |
The new MINI Cooper has received the highest-possible score of 5 stars in the Euro NCAP Crash Test. This latest achievement underlines superior safety, gutsy engines, razor-sharp steering and a finely-tuned chassis as key characteristics of the new MINI.
Outstanding results in head-on and side-on/pillar crash tests showed risk of injury to occupants to be minimal. The new MINI Cooper achieved 13 out of 16 points for deformation behaviour in a head-on collision, and 16 from 18 points in the side-on and pillar collision. Child safety testing also produced exemplary results.
In the offset frontal crash test, the structure of the passenger cell was maintained. 4,000 individual welding points in the body shell optimise the MINI Cooper's structural safety.
The MINI Cooper is 60 mm longer than its predecessor to meet pedestrian impact regulations. The car also comes as standard with six airbags, three-point inertia-reel seat belts on all four seats and ISOFIX child seat fastening systems in the rear.
Active safety was identified as a priority in the development of the new MINI. Brake Assistant, Cornering Brake Control (CBC) and Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBFD) in the new MINI Cooper may be supplemented as an option by on-demand traction control (ASC+T - standard on Cooper S models) and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), complete with uphill start assistance.
News of MINI's excellent performance in the NCAP test coincides with the launch of two new MINI variants. MINI One (£11,610 OTR) and MINI Cooper D (£14,175 OTR) went on sale from Saturday 14 April. Orders for the new models are already looking strong. The 1.4-litre, 95hp MINI One has achieved over 1600 sales in less than a week. BMW Group's cleanest-ever car, the turbocharged 1.6-litre, diesel-powered MINI Cooper D, weighed in with more than 660 orders during the same period.
Customers keen to get behind the wheel of the all-new MINI One can take advantage of a competitive offer from MINI Financial Services. The entry-level newcomer is available from just £175 a month*, and with five years' servicing included in the £150 MINI tlc package, the sensible money is with MINI. |
| This news is supplied by Car News (http://www.car-news.co.uk/) |
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