The new, new, new Mini is all about downsizing. Hence 3 cylinders.
But the Cooper S sizes up: gone is the 184 PS 1.6 turbo, here's a 2.0.
Power is up to 192 PS, which makes it a nice small hot hatch.
Which pits it against everyone's favourite of last year.
As this Fiesta ST is a fun machine with 182 PS. On paper, that is.
The Powerboost feature enables 200 PS at full throttle, for 20 seconds.
Good luck finding a stretch where you can do that in the Netherlands.
Speed aside, the sensation is amazing. Hit it, wait for the turbo and go!
And then there's the noise!
What a sound for such a small engine, it's great!
The manual 6-speed 'box is lovely and makes you feel the car.
The turbo lag is a bit too present, but the sensation is great.
The very harsh ride and very direct steering make for a very agile car.
It's not as grippy as the Clio RS, yet corner speeds are quite high.
And when lifting off at the limit, the back comes around playfully.
The ESP has a Sport mode. You can really play around with it.
It's not the perfect car, but offers very good fun for your money.
The Mini will have a very hard time trying to beat this.
Speaking of bang for your buck: the Mini is a lot more expensive.
This full option version costs 41.000 euro's. Such a difference.
But you get this huge satnav screen, versus the tiny one in the Fiesta.
You can get more safety features, too. Not available on the Ford.
The adaptive ride is only available on the Mini, too. Huge difference?
Well, it's tougher in Sport compared to Mid or Green.
But even then it's quite comfortable for a hot hatch.
It's softer and more stable than the Fiesta, as well as heavier.
It hangs about a bit in corners and feels less playful.
When nearing the limit, you encounter safe understeer.
Which is sensible, something previous Mini's definitely weren't.
Nowadays, a 2.0 turbo engine with 192 PS isn't all that strong.
This does let it depend less on the forced induction than the Fiesta.
It runs smoother, responds better and lets you struggle less.
The exhaust even pops when you let go of the throttle.
And the engine auto-blips, which is nice and lets you shift fast.
The 6-speed 'box has shorter throws but works as fine as the Fiesta's.
Both pleasure machines offer plenty of fun. But which is the best to choose?
The Mini looks great and has plenty of gadgets available.
But for 10.000 euro's less you get a bigger laugh with the Fiesta.