THE Mini, loved for decades, is no longer a home for furry dice and cuddly teddies. Mini has grown up.

The second-generation BMW Mini has been driven upmarket and is now in demand by young drivers who take their motoring seriously and see the Mini as a premium brand and a good investment. The days of the silly ornaments are over.

As the millionth new Mini leaves its Oxford production plant this month, the choice has never been greater. Two new engines have just been added . . . a turbocharged 1.6 litre diesel which replaces a Toyota-based 1.4 litre diesel in the Cooper D, and a new 1.4 litre high economy petrol engine for the new Mini One. They join the existing engine line-up in the Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper S which arrived in late 2006.

Then the all-new body design was launched with every body panel changed inside and out, an all new chassis, more refined steering and suspensions, better brakes, a six-speed manual transmission, and for all aboard . . .

more space. But not all things have changed in the Mini . . . the wheel-at-each-corner design is still there, as is the handling that Mini owners enjoy.

The two new engines will bring a grin to the faces of the greenest environmentalists as they give penny-pinching economy and boast ultra-clean emissions. The diesel offering is totally new; it's a joint effort from Peugeot/Citroen PSA and Ford, and has been tweaked by BMW for the Mini. It makes the Cooper D the cleanest car ever produced by BMW.

Developing 110bhp at 4,000rpm, the emission levels are cut to a mere 118g/km. It develops 240Nm of torque between 1,750 and 2,000rpm but when the engine's overboost cuts in it adds an extra 20Nm of torque giving 260Nm at 2,000rpm. This is identical to that produced by the Cooper S.

The top speed is 195km/h (121mpg) and the 0-100km sprint takes 9.9 seconds. The fuel consumption figures claimed by BMW are the highest for any Mini and show a remarkable 4.4l/km (64.2mpg) in mixed driving, 5.6l/km (50mpg) in urban driving and 3.7l/km (76.3mpg) in ideal unladen open-road driving.

In a limited test drive the engine delivers plenty of punch, good torque through the gears and apart from the usual diesel clatter in cold starts, the Mini is well soundproofed on the move.

There is very little turbo-lag which means no nightmare overtaking worries so often associated with diesel engines.

Behind the wheel the steering is light, responsive and handles the kart-like handling dyanamics which still remain. Controls and interior trim are acceptable and good use is made of the interior space.

The other new engine, the 1.4 litre - 95bhp at 6,000rpm, shows a 5bhp increase on the previous 1.6 litre engine and has a peak torque of 140Nm at 4,000rpm. The 0100km/h sprint takes 10.9 seconds. The top speed is 180 km/h and gives a combined fuel consumption of 5.7l/km (49.6mpg). Emissions levels are higher than the diesel at 138g/km.

The fuel-consumption figure shows a 15% improvement over the previous larger capacity engine, while the C0 2emissions are 16% lower.

The Mini Cooper D is priced at 26,400 and because of the price . . .

5,050 more than the Mini One at 21,350 . . . will sell probably fewer than 100 units in a year. The Mini One will account for 40% of the 1,300 annual sales, with the Mini Cooper accounting for another 40%, the Cooper S 10% and the Convertible 8%.

Mini manager Nicola Bissett says that in the first quarter of the year Mini sales were up just over 4%; new engines will add further interest in a market where driver age runs in the 25-30 year bracket and women account for 60% of sales. "Customising Minis is a big thing with owners . . . particularly for male buyers, " says Bissett.

"About 90% of owners admit to adding extra equipment. The girls tend to go for sunroofs, bonnet stripes and special wheels. . . The boys like making their cars unique . . . roof decals, John Cooper body kits, the aerodynamic pack, sunroofs, metallic paint body stripes and climate control units are on the menu."

VITAL STATISTICS
Mini Cooper D 1.6litre 110 bhp turbo diesel 3,699 mm 1,683 mm 1,407 mm 2,467 mm 9.9 secs - 0/100 km 195km/h (121mph) Six-speed manual 4.4l/km (64.2 mpg) combined 26,400 118g/km