Mini Cooper versus Audi A3 and Mercedes Benz B Class: Model Comparison

How does the recently launched Mini Cooper stacks up against the upcoming Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz B-Class? We compare the three to find out!

The strong growth that luxury cars have seen over the last few years has tempted luxury car brands to launch new models in the country. In one such move, Mini India had launched its Cooper and Countryman models at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. The iconic British brand, which is owned by BMW, opened their first exclusive showroom in Mumbai, India on April 6, 2012.

The Mini takes on upcoming cars such as the Audi A3 and the Mercedes-Benz B-Class Tourer. Let’s see how the Mini Cooper compares to its upcoming rivals.

 

Mini Cooper versus Mercedes-Benz B-Class

Mercedes-Benz is planning to launch the B-Class ‘Sports Tourer’ in the month of November. We expect the B-Class to be the most affordable Mercedes Benz model in India. The B-Class hatchback has a cab forward stance which is attractive but doesn’t look as classy as the Cooper.

The upcoming B-Class will come in both petrol and diesel. It may be powered by a 1.6-litre petrol motor that puts out 122 bhp of power and a 1.8-litre diesel motor that churns out 109 bhp of power. The Mini Cooper hatchback too is powered by a 1.6-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine that produces 122 bhp of maximum power and 160 Nm of maximum torque. Hence, with the same power output (petrol engines); it would be interesting to see if the B-Class can be as entertaining to drive as the Cooper.

Expect the B-Class to be priced below Rs. 25 lakh for the base variant, while the top-end variants may drive on to Mini Cooper territory which starts at Rs. 25.50 lakh.

Mini Cooper versus Audi A3

Audi showcased the A3 concept at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show and the production version is expected to hit Indian shores in the coming years. Mini launched the Cooper at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo in January and had received 100 bookings within a week of the launch.

When compared to the A3 which looks elegant and classy, the Mini Cooper looks sporty and has a muscular stance. Hence, both the cars may attract different sets of buyers.

The Mini Cooper hatchback is powered by a 1.6-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine producing 122 bhp of maximum power and 160 Nm of maximum torque. There are no official details regarding the engines for the A3. However, based on the engine specifications of other models in the Audi lineup we can assume that the A3 will be more powerful than the Mini Cooper.

The A3 is expected to be priced in the range of Rs. 20 lakh – Rs. 25 lakh and hence, the top-end variant of A3 and Mini Cooper (Rs. 25.50 lakh) may have a close price range.