There is nothing worse than finding the one parking spot available in a parking garage, just to find that once you squeeze into it, you can’t open the doors enough to get out. Mini->ke57 has decided to combat that scenario straight on and offer scissor doors as an option on Mini models going forward.

According to the brand’s press release, scissor doors will initially be available as an option on the Mini->ke629 3 door, Mini Paceman,->ke4449 and Mini Convertible. Come the 2017 model year, the option will be extended to the Mini 5 door, six-door Clubman,->ke2526 and the Mini Countryman.->ke3615 The doors will be electrohydraulically controlled, and will reduce the space needed for parking and easy entry/exit by nearly 30 percent. The Mini 3 door, for instance, will now require a parking spot width of just 1,930 mm when equipped with scissor doors, as opposed to the 2,681 mm that is required with regular hinged doors.

The feature comes standard with the ability to open and close the doors with a remote control, but for an addition premium, the scissor doors can be equipped with “Comfort Access,” which will allow the door to be opened by a button on the door handle. According to Dalf Rietmann, the Head of Special Equipment Management with Mini, the plan is to eventually allow the opening and closing of the scissor doors via a smartphone app.

In the safety side of things, the doors are also equipped with something call Pyrotechnic Emergency Exit (PEE,) which uses powerful propellants to blast the doors off of the vehicle in the event of an emergency, allowing first responders to have easy and fast access to passengers. The new scissor doors will be available at a premium of €1,959, which is $2,230 at current exchange rates.

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Why it matters

I’m not sure that too many Mini customers have issues with tight parking spaces, at least here in the U.S., but I can see this being a pretty big deal on the other side of the world. There is an abundance of aftermarket companies that supply and install scissor door kits for various mini models. In most cases, it’s nothing more than installing a special set of hinges in place of the standard hinge. A quick internet search will bring up more than a few results, with pricing ranging anywhere between $700 and $2,000 depending on the supplier and quality of the hinges.

Obviously, a decent kit will run you about the same price as the option from the dealer, but with the dealer you get a little more for your money – that PEE system. Scissor doors make it difficult for emergency responders to access passengers in the event of an accident, so going with the manufacturer option over the aftermarket options available could save your life in the long run. Just something to think about if you’re considering putting scissor doors on your Mini.

Mini Cooper

Read our full review on the Mini Cooper here.