At the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, Mini->ke57 unveiled the Paceman Concept and soon thereafter, rumors began that the company was preparing the production version. Now those rumors can be laid to rest as Mini has unveiled the production version Paceman, just a few weeks before its official debut at the 2012 Paris Auto Show.

The new Paceman->ke4449 is the seventh model in the brand family and is also the world's first Sports Activity Coupe in the premium small and compact vehicle segment. It is a two-door version of the Countryman and will be offered with the same technology and engines as its five-door brother.

This means that customers will have to choose between two petrol and two diesel engines, with power ranging from 112 HP to 184 HP. These engines will be combined with a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic as an option. Mini has also announced that a John Cooper Works is in the works.

UPDATE 09/14/2012: This review has been updated with the official details and images of the new Mini Paceman.

UPDATE 11/28/12: MINI has officially released pricing details for the Paceman. Check out how much a model's going to cost after the jump

Hit the jump to read more about the 2013 Mini Paceman.

2013 Mini Paceman

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2013 Mini Paceman
  • Engine/Motor: inline-4
  • Horsepower: 184 @ 5500
  • Torque: 177 @ 1600
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

The new Paceman will immediately be recognized as a Mini thanks to its traditional design cues. The model comes with black bordering on the lower edge of the body and side indicator surrounds on the diagonal that link between the A-pillar and front wheel arch. Up front, the model gets large, distinctively shaped headlights, a strikingly sculptured bonnet, and an upright hexagonal radiator grille.

When viewed from the side, the Paceman offers a very cool coupe look, with the roof swooping downwards towards the rear. The doors are very large and connect the front and rear wheels arches and offer the body a lower-slung appearance.

The first distinctive element will be viewed at the car's rear where the car gets rear lights with a horizontal design. There is also a rear apron that will provide a sporty appearance and a rear nameplate that is being used on a Mini model for the first time.

Customers will have to choose between eight exterior colors, including Brilliant Copper, Blazing Red and Starlight Blue - an exclusive color for the Paceman. The roof can be ordered in either the body color, or white or black.

Interior

The interior offers room for four passengers, with the rear passengers enjoying the comfort of a pair of individual seats with impressive shoulder room and headroom. The front seats can be ordered in standard Diagonal Track cloth upholstery, or a Hot Cross cloth/leather combination, Gravity leather trim, or exclusive Lounge leather variant as options.

The Paceman offers a load capacity of 330 liters, but can be increased to 1,080 liters when the rear seats are folded down. As an option, customers can get a storage package (containing features such as additional function elements for the Center Rail), a rear carrier preparation, and a trailer coupling.

Engine

At its launch, customers will have to choose between four different Paceman versions, powered by two petrol engines and a pair of diesel units. The base Mini Cooper Paceman is powered by a 1.6 liter petrol engine that delivers a total of 122 HP at 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 118 lb-ft available from 4,250 rpm. This version will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 10.4 seconds and can hit a top speed of 119 mph.

The next version is the Cooper S Paceman. It is powered by the same a 1.6 liter petrol engine, but paired with a twin-scroll turbocharger and direct injection. This system delivers a total of 184 HP at 5,500 rpm and a peak torque of 177 lb-ft delivered between 1,600 and 5,000 rpm. As a result, the S version will go from 0 to 60 mph in just 7.5 seconds and up to a top speed of 135 mph. This is all while delivering a fuel economy of 39.8 mpg.

The first model in the diesel line-up is the Cooper D Paceman powered by a 1.6 liter engine that delivers a total of 112 HP at 4,000 rpm and a peak torque of 199 lb-ft delivered between 1,750 and 2,250 rpm. This version will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 10.8 seconds and up to a top speed of 119 mph.

Next, we have the Mini Cooper SD Paceman powered by a 2.0 liter diesel engine. This model delivers a total of 143 HP at 4,000 rpm and a peak torque of 225 lb-ft delivered between 1,750 and 2,700 rpm. The SD version will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds and will hit a top speed of 122 mph.

All four models can be ordered with either a standard six-speed manual gearbox or an optional six-speed automatic. In the Cooper S Paceman and Cooper SD Paceman models, the automatic gearbox comes with shift paddles and an optional Sport Button, which tweaks the engine’s responses and the power assistance provided by the steering.

Also, three out of the four models (S, SD, and D) can be ordered with a permanent all-wheel-drive system that uses an electromagnetic center differential to distribute drive seamlessly between the front and rear axles.

All models are offered with Brake Energy Regeneration, Electric Power Steering, and the Gear Shift Indicator which works in tandem with the manual gearbox.

Prices

The new Mini Paceman will make its official debut at the 2012 Paris Auto Show with sales to begin on March 16, 2013. MINI also announced that the Paceman will be priced at $23,900, including $700 in destination charges. Should you look for something bigger, the Cooper S Paceman has been priced at $27,500, and last but not least, the ALL4 all-wheel-drive Cooper S Paceman has a price of $29,200.

Competition

If you are looking for a two-door SUV, good luck. There are a ton of small SUVs on the market, but none with the unique coupe-like features of the Paceman. Another small SUV that will be offered in the near future is the new Audi Q1 - a small SUV based on the Audi A1->ke1729 platform and offered with a wide range of engines, going from a 160 hp 1.4 TSI to a 2.0 TDI 140 bhp.