Curb hugging Mini Convertible Sidewalk returns

Mini has breathed new life into the Convertible only Sidewalk moniker set to go on sale across Europe from March this year.

The recipient of mainly exterior and interior revisions, the former consists out of 17-inch scissor spoke two-tone alloy wheels, Sidewalk badged side indictor bezels, body coloured mirror caps, dual bonnet stripes and the option of the same Deep Laguna Metallic paint finish as the original Sidewalk.

Like the regular Convertible, the Sidewalk comes as standard with the Mini Yours soft-top that boasts a bespoke woven-in arrow graphic, and which can be opened and closed in 18 seconds. Aside from the Deep Laguna hue, other paint options include White Silver Metallic, Enigmatic Black Metallic, Moonwalk Grey Metallic, Midnight Black Metallic and Thunder Grey Metallic.

Inside, the unique touches consist of the Mini Yours lounge leather seats, Sidewalk branded aluminium door sills, piano key black, silver and so-called Petrol inlays, anthracite leather inserts with Petrol and Energetic Yellow contrasting seams, Petrol door trim, a sports steering wheel with Sidewalk badging at the bottom, braided Petrol piping and dark Petrol floor mats with Energetic Yellow seams.

Motivation for the Sidewalk is however changed from the standard Convertible with the entry-level Mini One based derivative featuring the 75kW/190Nm 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine, while the Cooper gets the same engine but with power lifted to 100kW/220Nm. The flagship Cooper S retains its 2.0-litre turbo motor with outputs staying at 141kW/300Nm.

Confirmed to arrive in South Africa during the second quarter, the Sidewalk will only be available in Cooper and Cooper S guise, with all getting the seven-speed Steptronic dual-clutch gearbox as standard, albeit with sport optimised ratios in the case of the Cooper S. The six-speed manual ‘box, while offered in Europe, has been ruled out for the local market. An exact launch date and pricing will only be announced later, but expect it to be around R500 000 given that the Cooper Convertible kicks-off at R474 500.

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