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Thursday, 13 December, 2012 3:12 PM

MINI introduces 2014 Paceman crossover at 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show

PHOTO BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com

by Jason Rzucidlo americajr@americajr.com

WATCH: Exclusive interview with MINI's Patrick McKenna about the 2014 Paceman

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LOS ANGELES -- MINI revealed the 2014 model of its Paceman crossover SUV, just one year after it was a concept vehicle at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The vehicle made its North American debut during the automaker's press conference on the first media day of the auto show on Nov. 28.

"This is actually our seventh model that's coming out and it will be on sale in mid-March," said Patrick McKenna, manager of product planning and motoring events at MINI USA. "Within MINI, it's different because it's one of our models that has all-wheel drive, which currently we only have in the Countryman, which is a four-door. I think what makes it different in the market is the way it drives. We say a MINI has go-kart handling so that's what really sets it apart and of course, it's a premium small car so it's a cross between a small car and the upper end of the segment."

The standard Paceman is equipped with a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine producing 121 horsepower and 114 lb.-ft. of torque. It can go from zero to 60 mph in 9.7 seconds and features a top speed of 117 mph (114 in the automatic model).

"This is similar to every other MINI that we have so we offer it in Cooper, Cooper S and Cooper S ALL4," he added. "The Cooper is 121 hp, the Cooper S is 181 hp and the Cooper S ALL4 simply has all-wheel drive added. It starts at $23,900 so that's our entry-level price for the Cooper."

Is a hybrid or electric version possible in the future?

"In this generation of vehicles, we won't offer alternative fuels," the manager of product planning and motoring events explained. "But in our next generation of vehicles that starts in 2014, we're considering some alternatives with diesel, plug-in hybrids and some other possibilities as well, but not in this generation. We do great on fuel economy. Our MINI Cooper hardtops get 37 mpg highway so we have great fuel economy even in the current line-up."

Can you discuss how many are being manufactured and where?

"This particular vehicle is made in Graz, Austria through Magna Steyr," McKenna said. "It's made alongside our MINI Countryman. In terms of quantities, we don't really release the exact values. This will be a portion of what we sell the Countryman. The Countryman is the four-door sibling to this model. That's where the majority of our sales volume will be for our four-wheel drive and larger vehicles."

What are some of the interior and exterior features of this 2014 Paceman?

"What makes this unique is lounge seating in the rear," he added. "It gives you this cucoon kind of cockpit feel. This particular interior is called red copper. It's a very premium, very nice feel to it. What's nice is we have about 11 cubic feet of storage in the back. When you fold down the seats, it's actually 38 cubic feet in the back. It has a lot of utility to it. It's a very premium, beautiful interior."

Look for the new Paceman at MINI dealers on March 16, 2013. It looks like a snazzy little car. I would expect it to be a big seller for the British automaker.

For more information or to purchase tickets to the Los Angeles Auto Show, visit www.laautoshow.com.

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PHOTO BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com

PHOTO BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com

 

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