MINI Cooper SD

Apart from the small ‘D’ badge on the tailgate, you’ll struggle to tell the newcomer apart from a Cooper S. Better still, the SD driving experience is every bit as fun as in other hot petrol- powered versions of the MINI. It doesn’t have the characterful exhaust note and ultimate straight-line pace of the petrol turbos, but with more torque than even the John Cooper Works version, it’s just as fast point-to-point – and in the real world, it will cost you much less to run.

The heat has been turned up on the MINI oil-burner. This is the all-new Cooper SD, which is the British brand’s hottest diesel ever.

Designed to mix the thrills of the petrol-powered Cooper S with small fuel bills, it’s sure to be a hit with buyers hoping to avoid the financial penalties of rocketing prices at the pumps. So can this fast and frugal newcomer really allow you to have your cake and eat it? We drove one of the first UK examples to find out.

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Externally, the SD looks virtually identical to the petrol S. You get the same bonnet scoop, tailgate spoiler, 16-inch alloys and sporty, centre-exit twin tailpipes. Only a ‘D’ badge on the bootlid gives the game away. It’s a similar story inside, where the Cooper S cabin is carried over unchanged. As with every MINI, it’s well constructed, but feels a bit spartan unless you specify a few desirable options.

This latest addition also does nothing to address the model’s perennial failing of a cramped rear bench and tiny load bay. At least sports seats, a chunky three-spoke steering wheel and air-con are standard.

Hit the starter button and you’ll get the first real clue to the new car’s identity: instead of the Cooper S’s racy burble, you hear an uncharacteristic diesel clatter. On paper, the new 2.0-litre’s 141bhp power output doesn’t look all that impressive. It’s 40bhp down on the 1.6-litre petrol in the Cooper S – so 0-62mph is completed in a brisk 8.1 seconds instead of a rapid seven seconds flat. Still, the oil-burner strikes back with a muscular 305Nm of torque – that’s 25Nm more than the top-of-the-range John Cooper Works.

On the move, this translates into scorching mid-range pace, and between 2,000rpm and 3,500rpm the Cooper SD is every bit as quick as its petrol-powered cousin. Better still, the engine has a pleasantly rorty soundtrack, especially when you hit the Sport button – which also boosts the weight of the steering and sharpens the throttle response. In addition, that huge torque output has allowed engineers to use a much taller top gear. This helps to make the SD a remarkably relaxing long-distance machine – although the firm ride can get uncomfortable over poor surfaces.

As with all MINI models, the newcomer is at its best on twisting back roads. Turn into a corner, and you’re aware of the extra weight of the diesel unit in the nose, but even this fails to detract from the fun.

All the controls are beautifully weighted and the boisterous Cooper spears through bends with lazer-guided accuracy. Surprisingly, there’s very little torque steer on bumpy roads, despite the huge amount of muscle being channelled through the SD’s front wheels. This is thanks in no small part to the car’s uprated Dynamic Traction Control system, which has been tweaked to make the SD less unruly when accelerating hard.

Yet it’s when you open your wallet that the SD really scores over its petrol rivals. It claims 17mpg better official economy than the Cooper S, at 65.7mpg, while CO2 emissions of 112g/km result in an annual road tax bill of only £20. Factor in the firm’s excellent residual values and pre-paid servicing packages, and the MINI should make your money go further.

The downside is the hefty £735 premium the £18,750 SD carries over the the petrol S. But motorists who’ve set their heart on a fast MINI will soon be able to recoup this extra outlay through savings made on fuel and tax.

Rival: Citroen DS3 1.6 HDIIn racy DSport trim, the DS3 matches the MINI for slick style and driving fun. It’s not as punchy, with its 1.6-litre diesel delivering 109bhp, but the £16,545 price tag is a massive £2,205 lower.