MINI Convertible - Practicality & boot space

It’s unlikely that practicality is the number-one priority for convertible MINI buyers, but the car’s designers have tried to maximise what’s on offer in this regard nonetheless.

MINI Convertible interior space & storage

Compared to earlier versions, the latest MINI Convertible offers far more space for passengers in the back – but there’s still only room for two willing rear occupants, despite improvements in legroom and headroom available (when the roof is in place). The good news is that the MINI now offers more interior space than key rivals like the Fiat 500C.

Boot space

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It’s still not very big, but 215 litres with the roof up is the most generous boot a MINI has offered so far. Fold the roof down and you’ll be left with 160 litres in the boot – many owners will be even more inclined to use the rear seats as extra luggage space in this scenario which, incidentally, split and fold down. MINI's designers have tried to make it a bit easier to access the latest Convertible's boot, though. When the roof is up, the main bootlid folds down as normal, and you can then lift the rear deck up to get larger items in and out a bit easier.

The car’s folding fabric roof has been redesigned so it folds electronically in 18 seconds at speeds of up to 20mph. You can do this remotely when the car is parked and even get a ‘rain warner’ app for your smartphone to tell you to close the roof of your car if it’s likely to rain where you’ve parked it. The roof’s only major weaknesses are that it eats up boot space and obstructs rear visibility when it’s retracted.