MINI's entry-level hatch will spawn an offshoot when the importer ships in the new five-door variant with the smaller (1.2-litre) three-cylinder engine around March next year.
Pricing is yet to be confirmed by MINI Australia, but expect the 'poverty pack' five-door to be priced below $26,000.
"It will mirror the standard specification of the three-door MINI One and the pricing structure will be similar," says Kai Bruesewitz, General Manager of MINI Australia.
"This will be the entry level model for the style conscious yet price-sensitive family buyer who wants to make sure they're noticed when they are on the road."
The price saving doesn't necessarily make the MINI One five-door a red-hot bargain, however, when the five-door Cooper has a host of extra equipment at a price not much higher than anticipated for the lower-grade version. Just the MINI Cooper's 15-inch alloy wheels would offset the difference in a retail context.
But within that range of five-door variants the entry-level MINI One five-door will be every bit a price leader, which may leave it outsold by the better equipped MINI Cooper.
With specifications for the MINI One largely following in the footsteps of the three-door version, the 15-inch steel wheels will be carried over, as will the 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine, which can be specified with either manual or automatic transmissions – both six-speed units.
Peak power and torque figures for the 1.2-litre engine are expected to remain 75kW and 180Nm, as for the three-door MINI One variant. But fuel consumption and performance are anticipated to be adversely affected – relative to the five-door MINI Cooper – due to the added weight.