Awards 2012 - Supermini: Mini

Date: 24 January 2012

This year marks a decade of superiority in the supermini category for the BMW-owned Mini. Its cast iron residual values, excellent running costs and everlasting appeal just can't be bettered, despite strong competition.

Now in its fifth year, the second-generation Mini is as appealing as ever to fleets, thanks in part to its range of exceptionally clean engines, including the 99g/km Cooper D. The car's engaging handling is another of its strong points - Mini often describes it as "go-kart like" - and in 2011 the firm cashed in on the idea of a hot hatchback model with the lowest possible running costs when it launched the SD. This features a 145hp 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine that emits 114g/km and returns a claimed 65.7mpg, so keen drivers can have their cake and eat it.

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