The Mini John Cooper Works Hatch is the latest member of BMW’s small car family to go under the knife.
The updated model is set to launch in the third quarter of this year, though Mini has yet to release pricing.
For reference, the current John Cooper Works Hatch starts at $57,900 before on-road costs.
On the outside of the John Cooper Works Hatch there’s a horizontal red stripe across the grille, rather than the outgoing red grille outline.
There are also enlarged air intakes and a restyled rear diffuser.
The changes bring it in line with the rest of the updated John Cooper Works range.
Inside, it has an updated centre stack, featuring an 8.8-inch infotainment display.
Gone are the piano black buttons from below the infotainment screen, replaced with capacitive touch-based buttons for a cleaner design.
Optional is the digital instrument binnacle from the Mini Electric and Mini JCW GP.
A new version of Mini’s adaptive suspension is also optional on the JCW Hatch, which the company says has more than ten percent greater damping force than before.
The updated JCW Hatch adds standard rear parking sensors, while lane-departure warning and adaptive cruise control with stop/go are new options.
Lightweight 17- and 18-inch alloys are available, in conjunction with red Brembo front, four-piston fixed caliper brakes with ventilated discs.
Carrying over from the outgoing model is the centre-mounted exhaust system, featuring twin 85-millimetre stainless steel tailpipes.
Power comes from an unchanged 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder producing 170kW of power and 320Nm of torque.
Compared to the Cooper S, this is an increase of 29kW of power and 40Nm of torque.
This is still mated to either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission.
The six-speed manual does 0-100km/h in 6.3 seconds, whereas the eight-speed auto does 0-100km/h in 6.1 seconds.
The John Cooper Works range spans five models including the Hatch, Convertible, Clubman, Countryman and limited-production GP.
With the next generation of Mini Hatch delayed until 2023, the current generation model has received an extended lifespan.
Mini has confirmed it’s working on an all-electric John Cooper Works, though it hasn’t released any further details.
