Mini will have to heavily rework BMW’s forthcoming three-cylinder motor if it is to fit in the Mini hatchback, Cabriolet and Clubman.
Sources within the firm are confident that the engine will feature in the Mini line-up but, as with the just-released four-cylinder diesel, it will need to have many of its ancillary components altered.
See the official pics of the new Mini range
Minis will sneak beneath 100g/km of CO2 emissions when the facelifted range gets BMW’s own 1.6-litre diesel engine this autumn.
Designed to bolster BMW’s baby in the face of increasing competition from the Audi A1, Fiat 500 and Alfa Mito, the revised Mini focuses on improving fuel economy, reducing CO2 emissions and extending the buyer’s scope for personalisation.
Read Autocar's first drive of the new Mini 1.6D
The chief technical change is the switch from a PSA-sourced oil-burner to a smaller-capacity version of the engine already used in the BMW 116d.
Available in two specs — the 89bhp Mini One D and 110bhp Cooper D — it returns slightly improved economy of 72.4mpg and cuts CO2 emissions from 104g/km to 99g/km, making the car road tax-free under current VED rules.
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