Mini goes maxi, joins 3-cylinder engine club

LOS ANGELES -- Mini is joining the three-cylinder engine club when it comes to its original hardtop, which is being unveiled here this week.

But the little Mini is going maxi on size. It's about to get 4.5 inches longer.

The new Mini will comes with other surprises, too, when it is unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Perhaps the biggest change is going to be its availability with a three-cylinder engine to save more gas, not just a four-cylinder engine it has always had. Three-cylinder engines are rare. Ford is introducing a 1-liter, three-cylinder engine in its smallest model, the Fiesta.

The 1.4-liter three-banger in a Mini will produce a respectable 134 horsepower with the help of turbos with a standard six-speed manual transmission or optional six-speed automatic. That means zero to 60 miles per hour in 7.4 seconds, Mini says.

For lots more power, there is the Cooper S with a turbocharged 2-liter, four-cylinder engine. It produces 189 horsepower.

By adding length to the original hardtop, Mini says the car will be able to offer more space throughout the cabin. But it is yet to be seen if it can remain as agile or whether it extra size has it bumping up against the next largest Mini in the line, the Clubman.

The new Mini is being dressed up, too, with little touches throughout. For instance, it will get LED headlights in front, for instance.