The mark two MINI may have been with us since as long ago as November 2006, but it is only now that the Cabriolet has been upgraded to match the rest of the range.

The soft-top model has been outstandingly popular since its introduction in 2004. Some 160,000 have been sold worldwide, with Britons accounting for a quarter of all sales.

Therefore, the Oxford-based firm has high hopes for the new model, which arrives – initially in either Cooper or Cooper S form – at the end of the week, just in time for the summer.

The new vehicle is slightly bigger, more versatile, and safer than the old car. It is also more eco-friendly, thanks to its fuel-saving features, and comes with more kit. You even get air conditioning as standard for the first time.

While there have been a number of styling tweaks, casual observers could be forgiven for not being able to tell the difference between the old and new cars.

If you’re really struggling, the best way to tell them apart is to have a gander inside: if the speedo is the size of a dinner plate, it’s a mark two model.

Engine choice

For now, the new Convertible is available with a choice of two 1.6 engines. The standard 120PS Cooper starts at £15,995 to put on the road, while the considerably more powerful 175PS Cooper S, costs another three grand.

An even hotter John Cooper Works Cabriolet will arrive shortly (for a hefty £23,470), while smaller petrol and diesel variants will follow in due course.

The current restricted choice should make it a straight forward business to choose the right model. Those buying mainly on looks should be more than happy with the standard Cooper.

The 120PS engine needs some encouragement to perform but sounds agreeably gruff. On a run it will return 40mpg plus but at motorway speeds this figure can drop to nearer 30mpg.

More enthusiastic drivers will prefer the Cooper S, which combines top-down pleasure with genuine hot hatch performance. And it’s even better with the addition of sports suspension and an electronic limited slip differential for just over £300.

Compared with the old car, the Convertible’s body structure, floorpan, A pillars and side sills have all been beefed up. The new car is 10 per cent more rigid, yet it weighs 10kg less -Êwhich has benefits both in terms of safety and handling.

Impressively stable

I found the Cooper impressively stable on the road, with huge levels of grip and little evidence of scuttle shake. Ride quality depends on the nature of the road and poor surfaces can catch the Convertible out. Noise is an issue only at motorway speeds.

All Convertible models feature the new-style canvas roof which opens or retracts electronically in 15 seconds. It can operate while the car is travelling at speeds of up to 20mph and there’s also has a useful semi-open setting which replicates a sunroof effect.

When the roof is down it does not eat into the boot space, as is the case with many other soft-tops. This is probably just as well bearing in mind the limited size of the boot.

Nor does the roof have the sleekest of profiles when folded away – and it’s hard to argue with those who suggest the MINI has a pram-like look with its top down.

All-round visibility is excellent when the roof is down, but rather restricted with it up. The Convertible has a new, lower one-piece anti-roll bar behind the rear seats instead of its predecessor’s fixed anti-roll bars, which also makes it easier to see out of the car.

The new MINI is billed as a four-seater but is more of a two plus two. The rear seats fold flat and this boosts the available storage space.

Unlike a hatchback the boot opens downwards – and I wonder if MINI hasn’t missed a trick here. With the addition of some padding, the boot ledge could make a decent seat for two. But it’s currently only strong enough to support one adult weighing up to 80kg.

As usual there are plenty of options available to Convertible buyers and these can be bundled together in the form of Chili or Pepper packs.

Oddity

The weirdest option is the oddity that is the Openometer. It’s is a pod-like gauge next to the rev counter which measures the time spent with driving with the roof down.

Had this curio been included as standard it might have possessed some novelty value – but I can’t see who is going to fork out £115 for this as an extra.

Prospective buyers would be better off putting this money towards a deflector, which helps prevent wind buffeting the front seat occupants.

The new MINI Convertible is not particularly cheap – especially once the inevitable option packs have been taken into account.

But it’s a funky package which more than lives up to its ‘fun car’ billing and should put a smile on the face of anyone who drives it.

By Peter Carroll

MINI FACT FILE:

Model: Cooper Convertible

Price: From £15,995 on the roadEngine: 1,598cc, four cylinders, petrolPower: 120PSTransmission: Six-speed manual, front wheel drivePerformance: 0-62mph in 9.8 secondsTop speed: 123mphEconomy: 49.6mpg on combined cycleCO2 emissions: 137g/kmLength: 3,699mmWeight: 1,240kgInsurance group: 9Servicing: 10,000 milesWarranty: Three years/60,000 miles