Review and photos by Paul Williams
Photo Gallery:
2013 Mini Cooper JCW Paceman ALL4
The Mini Paceman made its Canadian debut at the 2013 Montreal International Auto Show, representing the newest model in the Mini lineup. It’s a two-door, four-seat crossover available in Cooper, Cooper S, and John Cooper Works versions. Debuting online in September, 2012, and expected in Canada in early 2013 for a spring (second quarter) launch, the Paceman is a genuine crossover type vehicle that’s quite different from the four-door Countryman upon whose platform it is based.
For a start, it loses two doors, and its roof slopes aerodynamically to the rear, finished with an integrated spoiler. It’s a four-seat vehicle, with rear seats that fold forward to increase cargo capacity. More precisely, rear cargo room is increased from 330 L to 1,080 L with the rear seats down. This really is a coupe crossover, when you think about it.
 2013 Mini Cooper JCW Paceman ALL4. Click image to enlarge |
At the rear, the Mini Paceman features large, horizontally arranged lights, designed to emphasize the vehicle’s width (a Mini first). It’s also the only Mini identified by a rear nameplate.
Inside, the driver benefits from a raised seating position and the instrument panel is similar to other Mini models, built around the signature large central speedometer. However, this speedometer features a black surround and decorative inner rings in high-gloss black or chrome, which are new. Also new are the redesigned vent surrounds and the location of the power window controls, formerly at the base of the centre stack, now moved to the door trim panels.
The Cooper Paceman is the base front-wheel-drive model. You get 121 horsepower and 114 lb-ft of torque from the 1.6L engine, and fuel consumption is rated at 5.7/7.4/6.6 L/100 km highway/city/combined. It starts at $26,800.
The Mini Cooper S Paceman ALL4 gets more power and all-wheel drive. Starting at $31,200, it’s powered by Mini’s 1.6L turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 181 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque. Fuel consumption is 6.4/8.1/7.3 L/100 km highway/city/combined.
The Mini John Cooper Works Paceman ALL4 also gets all-wheel drive, but with the special JCW engine makes 208 hp, 192 lb-ft torque and sprints from 0–100 km/h in 6.9 seconds with either the six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Starting at $39,600 this will be the most expensive version of the Mini in Canada. It debuted at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
