Mini Paceman – Test Drive Review

You could be forgiven for not knowing exactly what the Mini Paceman is. BMW’s adopted British brand has been churning out all manner of variants of its staple hatchback like there’s no tomorrow, and this large three-door is the latest to come to the fore.

It is, in fact, a coupe version of the Countryman, itself a jacked-up crossover adaptation of the hatchback and the first Mini to offer five-door practicality, which resonates with

fleet buyers.

The Paceman exudes Mini’s engaging driving characteristics, which will be familiar to anyone who has sampled just about any variant the current crop. Responsive steering and all-round sharp handling are a given, although there is a bit more body roll than you’d find with the smaller models, which is to be expected. The ride has never been Mini’s strong point either, and it is a little abrasive.

Figures of 130g/km and 57.6mpg are impressive given the car’s size and the fact that this version is the heavier All4 four-wheel drive variant, too. The most efficient Paceman is the Cooper 1.6 D with 115g/km and 64.2mpg, which has a starting P11D of £20,155.

Given that this version is a performance diesel and it has four-wheel drive, both of which render it costlier and heavier, residual values are respectable at 35.8%, though other Minis break the 40% barrier.

It’s difficult to peg a core rival to the Paceman because it’s so obscure in terms of its size, shape and body style, but the Range Rover Evoque in three-door guise is about as close a match as is possible. Obviously it costs more for an equivalent spec four-wheel drive model (see ‘Rivals’ below) and you’re looking at 68.9ppm versus the Mini’s 57.6ppm, but emotional appeal plays a big part here and while the Mini might have costs in its favour, it’s unlikely to top the Range Rover in terms of desirability.

It may be smart, with decent RVs and the ability to strike a good balance between clout and efficiency in SD guise, but it’s hard to recommend the Paceman as a car for the fleet community. It’s obviously far more of a retail model, but other than its individual body style, it brings little to the Mini range that wasn’t already there, while stylish cars with reasonable performance and lower P11D values aren’t hard to find.