2022 Mini Cooper S 5-door Review: The Formula Is Intact

Auto123 reviews the 2022 Mini Cooper S 5-door.

The 2022 model-year brings its share of changes to the Mini Cooper, the little car that in its modern incarnation celebrates its 20th anniversary in Canada. (The original Mini, which was originally sold by British automakers Austin and Morris, was born in 1959).

The current, third generation of the contemporary Cooper has been doing its thing since the 2014 model-year, a virtual eternity for a car within the BMW Group universe. Mini has other priorities, however: the company is currently working on the start of its shift to electric. Yes, a 100-percent electric Cooper SE is already available and a plug-in hybrid version of the Countryman has been in the brand's lineup for a few seasons now, but the British brand is working on a long-term electrification strategy that will lead to an all-electric lineup by 2030.

In the meantime, the Mini Cooper S retains its old formula of a front-mounted turbocharged gasoline engine and a fun-to-drive feel from the moment you get behind the wheel. And it’s hard not to have fun in this lovable bug, which delivers further proof that a car doesn’t have to be big to deliver a good time.

Minimal exterior details
Of course, the Cooper's unique silhouette remains the same, as does the very British feel. In this 5-door configuration, the Cooper S is slightly larger than the 3-door Cooper. However, the rear doors are still narrow. The opposite would have been surprising since this version is based on the same skeleton as in 2014.

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