Mini have officially launched the new Mini One at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. This entry-level model is designed to allow more drivers to have a slice of Mini’s scrumptious cake. Don’t be fooled into thinking the Mini One will be a utilitarian, stripped-down ‘poor man’s’ Mini – specs released so far are impressive. The One looks great, maintaining Mini’s classic design with a few modern twists; the front grille is sunken and downturned, adding character; and the bodywork is chunky and attractive.

The new Mini One will be available in two versions, petrol and diesel. The 1.2 turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine puts out an impressive 102 bhp. Performance figures are better than average in class. The petrol Mini One will do 0-62 in 9.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 121 mph. Economy figures are decent, with Mini claiming a combined fuel economy of 61 mpg.

The Mini One D is the diesel version – another turbocharged, three-cylinder unit. This is a tuned-down version of the 1.5L diesel unit, previously used in the Mini Cooper D. The diesel version is expected to attract economy conscious buyers. Mini claims this unit will do an impressive 83 mpg combined fuel economy. As expected, performance figures are slightly more mundane in the diesel version, 0-62 is reached in 11 seconds and the car will top out at 118 mph.

Mini hasn’t released any further details on the One, although we expect it to become available in autumn this year. Prices are estimated to start at £14,000 for the petrol model and £15,000 for the diesel. Not exactly cheap, but in the premium supermini market, Mini are still remaining competitive. We’ll wait for Mini to release details on standard equipment and trim for the base models before we give our verdict on value for money.

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