MINI Paceman: which version to buy (2012–2017)
If you are choosing a MINI Paceman, the decision is not between generations: the catalogue lists 1 generation only, built from 2012-09-01 to 2017-01-31 as a Hatchback 3-door. The choice is which of the listed 1.6 MT, 1.6 AT and 2.0 AT powertrains to take.
If you are choosing a MINI Paceman, the decision is not between generations: the catalogue lists 1 generation only, built from 2012-09-01 to 2017-01-31 as a Hatchback 3-door. The choice is which of the listed 1.6 MT, 1.6 AT and 2.0 AT powertrains to take. On the numbers, the 1.6 MT at 122 hp with FWD is the lightest, cheapest-to-run petrol; the 1.6 MT at 218 hp with AWD is the fastest; the 1.6 MT diesel at 112 hp with FWD is the lowest on fuel and CO2. There is no second generation to “wait for,” so the trade-offs below are the whole buying map.
Generations: one body, many 1.6 MT / 1.6 AT / 2.0 AT variants
1 generation (2012-09-01–2017-01-31): Hatchback 3-door, 23 versions in the model line, 12 shown in this dataset. Restyling is not listed as a separate generation. Every version below sits in this single window; comparing “old vs new Paceman” is not possible from these data.
Engines and specs (which 1.6 MT, 1.6 AT or 2.0 AT you are actually buying)
Same catalogue names repeat. Distinguish them by hp, drive and fuel. All listed engines are 4 cylinders, Inline, Front, transverse, 4 valves per cylinder, 6 gears. Rear brakes: Disc. Front brakes: Ventilated disc. Suspension: Independent, spring front and rear.
| Version | hp (kW @ rpm) | Nm @ rpm | cc | Fuel | Boost | Injection | Gearbox | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 MT 218 hp | 218 (160 @ 6000) | 300 @ 2100–4500 | 1598 | Gasoline 95 | Turbo | Direct injection (direct) | Manual | AWD |
| 1.6 AT 211 hp | 211 (155 @ 6000) | 260 @ 1850–5500 | 1598 | Gasoline 98 | Turbo | Distributed injection (multi-point) | Automatic | FWD |
| 1.6 MT 211 hp | 211 (155 @ 6000) | 260 @ 1850–5500 | 1598 | Gasoline 98 | Turbo | Distributed injection (multi-point) | Manual | FWD |
| 1.6 MT 184 hp | 184 (135 @ 5500) | 240 @ 1600–5000 | 1598 | Gasoline 95 | Turbo | Direct injection (direct) | Manual | AWD |
| 1.6 AT 184 hp | 184 (135 @ 5500) | 240 @ 1600–5000 | 1598 | Gasoline 95 | Turbo | Direct injection (direct) | Automatic | AWD |
| 1.6 MT 122 hp FWD | 122 (90 @ 6000) | 160 @ 4250 | 1598 | Gasoline 95 | No | Direct injection (direct) | Manual | FWD |
| 1.6 AT 122 hp | 122 (90 @ 6000) | 160 @ 4250 | 1598 | Gasoline 95 | No | Direct injection (direct) | Automatic | FWD |
| 1.6 MT 122 hp AWD | 122 (90 @ 6000) | 160 @ 4250 | 1598 | Gasoline 95 | No | Direct injection (direct) | Manual | AWD |
| 1.6 MT 112 hp diesel FWD | 112 (82 @ 4000) | 270 @ 1750–2250 | 1598 | Diesel | Turbo | not measured | Manual | FWD |
| 1.6 MT 112 hp diesel AWD | 112 (82 @ 4000) | 270 @ 1750–2250 | 1598 | Diesel | Turbo | not measured | Manual | AWD |
| 2.0 AT 112 hp FWD | 112 (82 @ 4000) | 270 @ 1750–2250 | 1995 | Diesel | Turbo | not measured | Automatic | FWD |
| 2.0 AT 112 hp AWD | 112 (82 @ 4000) | 270 @ 1750–2250 | 1995 | Diesel | Turbo | not measured | Automatic | AWD |
Compression: 10.5 on the 1.6 MT 218 hp and both 184 hp petrols; 10 on both 211 hp petrols; 11 on all three 122 hp petrols; 16.5 on all four diesels. Bore × stroke: 77 × 85.8 on every 1598 cm³ petrol; 78 × 83.6 on both 1.6 MT diesels; 84 × 90 on both 2.0 AT diesels. Eco class: Euro 6 on the three 122 hp petrols; Euro 5 on every other listed version.
Specific output from the table: 218 / 1.598 ≈ 136 hp per litre on the 1.6 MT 218 hp; 211 / 1.598 ≈ 132 hp/l on both 211 hp cars; 184 / 1.598 ≈ 115 hp/l on both 184 hp cars; 122 / 1.598 ≈ 76 hp/l on the naturally aspirated petrols; 112 / 1.598 ≈ 70 hp/l on the 1.6 MT diesels; 112 / 1.995 ≈ 56 hp/l on the 2.0 AT diesels. The extra displacement on 2.0 AT does not buy extra power: both 2.0 AT cars are still 112 hp and 270 Nm, same as the 1.6 MT diesels.
Performance, mpg and what Automatic vs AWD costs in seconds
1.6 MT 218 hp AWD: 0–100 in 6.9 s, 226 km/h, city/highway/mixed 9.4 / 6.2 / 7.4, CO2 172. 1.6 AT 211 hp FWD: 6.9 s, 210 km/h, 10.5 / 6.2 / 7.6, CO2 not measured. 1.6 MT 211 hp FWD: 6.9 s, 215 km/h, 8.3 / 5.9 / 6.7, CO2 not measured. 1.6 MT 184 hp AWD: 7.8 s, 212 km/h, 8.2 / 5.8 / 6.7, CO2 157. 1.6 AT 184 hp AWD: 8.2 s, 207 km/h, 10.3 / 6.2 / 7.7, CO2 180. 1.6 MT 122 hp FWD: 10.4 s, 192 km/h, 7.4 / 5.2 / 6, CO2 140. 1.6 AT 122 hp FWD: 11.5 s, 184 km/h, 9.3 / 6.0 / 7.2, CO2 168. 1.6 MT 122 hp AWD: 11.4 s, 188 km/h, 8.2 / 5.8 / 6.7, CO2 156. 1.6 MT 112 hp diesel FWD: 10.8 s, 187 km/h, 4.7 / 4.2 / 4.4, CO2 115. 1.6 MT 112 hp diesel AWD: 11.5 s, 182 km/h, 5.3 / 4.7 / 4.9, CO2 129. 2.0 AT 112 hp FWD: 11.2 s, 182 km/h, 7.2 / 4.7 / 5.6, CO2 149. 2.0 AT 112 hp AWD: 11.8 s, 177 km/h, 7.6 / 5.0 / 6, CO2 158.
The three turbo petrols at 218 and 211 hp all claim 6.9 s to 100. What changes is top speed and fuel: 1.6 MT 218 hp AWD is 16 km/h faster than 1.6 AT 211 hp (226 vs 210) and 11 km/h faster than 1.6 MT 211 hp (226 vs 215). Mixed consumption on 1.6 MT 211 hp is 6.7 against 7.4 on the 218 hp car (−0.7) and 7.6 on 1.6 AT 211 hp (−0.9). If you want the 6.9 s time and care about litres, 1.6 MT 211 hp FWD is the leanest of that trio; if you want the highest top speed, it is 1.6 MT 218 hp.
Automatic vs Manual on the same engine: 1.6 AT 122 hp is 1.1 s slower than 1.6 MT 122 hp FWD (11.5 vs 10.4), 8 km/h slower (184 vs 192), and uses 1.2 more mixed litres (7.2 vs 6.0). 1.6 AT 184 hp is 0.4 s slower than 1.6 MT 184 hp (8.2 vs 7.8), 5 km/h slower (207 vs 212), mixed +1.0 (7.7 vs 6.7). 1.6 AT 211 hp matches 1.6 MT 211 hp at 6.9 s but loses 5 km/h (210 vs 215) and 0.9 mixed litres. The extra gearbox does not buy acceleration on the 211 hp pair; it costs fuel and top speed.
AWD vs FWD on the same engine: 1.6 MT 122 hp AWD is 1.0 s slower than 1.6 MT 122 hp FWD (11.4 vs 10.4), 4 km/h slower, mixed +0.7. 1.6 MT 112 hp diesel AWD is 0.7 s slower than the FWD diesel (11.5 vs 10.8), 5 km/h slower, mixed +0.5, CO2 +14 (129 vs 115). 2.0 AT AWD is 0.6 s slower than 2.0 AT FWD (11.8 vs 11.2), 5 km/h slower (177 vs 182), mixed +0.4. AWD is never the quicker of a pair in this list.
Diesel vs petrol at similar 0–100: 1.6 MT 112 hp diesel FWD (10.8 s, mixed 4.4) is 0.4 s slower than 1.6 MT 122 hp FWD (10.4 s, mixed 6.0) but uses 1.6 fewer mixed litres and 25 less CO2 (115 vs 140). 2.0 AT FWD is 0.8 s slower than that same 122 hp 1.6 MT and still uses 0.4 fewer mixed litres than the petrol — but 1.2 more than the 1.6 MT diesel FWD. If the goal is mpg, 2.0 AT is the wrong diesel: same 112 hp and 270 Nm as 1.6 MT diesel, worse mixed figures.
Peak torque also changes the character of a “slow” engine: 1.6 MT 122 hp has 160 Nm at 4250 rpm; the 112 hp diesels have 270 Nm from 1750–2250. That is +110 Nm at much lower rpm. The 218 hp petrol has 300 Nm (+40 vs diesel, +140 vs 122 hp petrol).
Dimensions, weight and ground clearance (what AWD and Automatic add in kilograms)
Tank is 47 L on every listed version. Wheel sizes are not measured on every listed version.
Kerb / gross / clearance:
- 1.6 MT 122 hp FWD: 1255 / 1725 kg, 135 mm — lightest, highest clearance among petrols that share 135 mm with the diesels.
- 1.6 AT 122 hp: 1285 / 1755 kg, 135 mm — Automatic adds 30 kg.
- 1.6 MT 122 hp AWD: 1330 / 1810 kg, 135 mm — AWD adds 75 kg vs FWD Manual.
- 1.6 MT 112 hp diesel FWD: 1300 / 1770 kg, 135 mm.
- 1.6 MT 112 hp diesel AWD: 1370 / 1840 kg, 135 mm — +70 kg.
- 2.0 AT FWD: 1320 / 1790 kg, 135 mm.
- 2.0 AT AWD: 1390 / 1865 kg, 135 mm — +70 kg.
- 1.6 MT 184 hp: 1370 / 1840 kg, 124 mm.
- 1.6 AT 184 hp: 1395 / 1865 kg, 124 mm — Automatic +25 kg.
- 1.6 MT 218 hp: 1400 / 1870 kg, 107 mm — lowest clearance in the list (28 mm below the 135 mm cars, 17 mm below the 184/211 hp cars).
- 1.6 MT 211 hp: 1475 / 1890 kg, 124 mm.
- 1.6 AT 211 hp: 1495 / 1890 kg, 124 mm — heaviest kerb (+240 kg vs 1.6 MT 122 hp FWD).
Mass per horsepower (kerb / hp): 1.6 MT 218 hp ≈ 6.4 kg/hp; 1.6 MT 211 hp ≈ 7.0; 1.6 AT 211 hp ≈ 7.1; 1.6 MT 184 hp ≈ 7.4; 1.6 AT 184 hp ≈ 7.6; 1.6 MT 122 hp FWD ≈ 10.3; 1.6 AT 122 hp ≈ 10.5; 1.6 MT 122 hp AWD ≈ 10.9; 1.6 MT diesel FWD ≈ 11.6; 2.0 AT FWD ≈ 11.8; 1.6 MT diesel AWD ≈ 12.2; 2.0 AT AWD ≈ 12.4. The 218 hp car is not the lightest, but it carries the least mass per horsepower. The 211 hp pair is heavier than the 218 hp AWD car (1475 and 1495 vs 1400) despite less power — so “stepping down” from 218 to 211 does not buy a lighter Paceman.
Payload (gross − kerb): 1.6 MT 218 hp 470 kg; 1.6 AT 211 hp 395 kg; 1.6 MT 211 hp 415 kg; 1.6 MT 122 hp FWD 470 kg; 1.6 AT 122 hp 470 kg; 1.6 MT 122 hp AWD 480 kg; diesel 1.6 MT FWD 470 kg; diesel 1.6 MT AWD 470 kg; 2.0 AT FWD 470 kg; 2.0 AT AWD 475 kg; 1.6 MT 184 hp 470 kg; 1.6 AT 184 hp 470 kg. The 211 hp Automatic is the tightest on payload (395 kg).
Mixed range from the 47 L tank (tank / mixed × 100): 1.6 MT diesel FWD ≈ 1068 km; diesel AWD ≈ 959 km; 2.0 AT FWD ≈ 839 km; 1.6 MT 122 hp FWD ≈ 783 km; 2.0 AT AWD and 1.6 MT 122 hp AWD and 1.6 MT 184 hp and 1.6 MT 211 hp all sit on mixed 6.0–6.7 (≈ 701–783 km); 1.6 MT 218 hp ≈ 635 km; 1.6 AT 122 hp ≈ 653 km; 1.6 AT 211 hp ≈ 618 km; 1.6 AT 184 hp ≈ 610 km. Automatic petrols empty the tank first.
Which version to choose
Buy 1.6 MT 122 hp FWD if the job is a light Hatchback 3-door with Euro 6, 135 mm clearance, mixed 6.0 L/100 km and 140 g/km CO2. It is the lightest Paceman (1255 kg) and the quickest of the non-turbo petrols (10.4 s, 192 km/h). No turbo, Direct injection (direct), 95 fuel.
Do not buy 1.6 AT 122 hp unless you must have Automatic. You pay +30 kg, +1.1 s, −8 km/h, mixed +1.2, CO2 +28 (168 vs 140) for the same 122 hp and 160 Nm.
Buy 1.6 MT 122 hp AWD only if you need AWD on this engine. Versus FWD Manual: +75 kg, +1.0 s, −4 km/h, mixed +0.7, CO2 +16. Clearance stays 135 mm — AWD here is not extra height.
Buy 1.6 MT 112 hp diesel FWD if mpg and CO2 decide. Mixed 4.4, CO2 115, 270 Nm from 1750 rpm, 10.8 s. Versus 1.6 MT 122 hp FWD you lose 0.4 s and 5 km/h and drop from Euro 6 to Euro 5; you gain 110 Nm and 1.6 mixed litres. Injection on this diesel is not measured.
Skip 1.6 MT 112 hp diesel AWD unless AWD is required: +70 kg, +0.7 s, mixed 4.9 instead of 4.4.
Skip both 2.0 AT diesels if a Manual diesel is acceptable. 2.0 AT FWD is 112 hp like the 1.6 MT diesel but mixed 5.6 vs 4.4 (+1.2), CO2 149 vs 115, 0–100 11.2 vs 10.8, and 1995 cm³ instead of 1598. 2.0 AT AWD is the slowest listed car (11.8 s, 177 km/h) with mixed 6.0 — the same mixed figure as 1.6 MT 122 hp FWD petrol. The extra cubic centimetres do not raise power; they coincide with Automatic and worse economy.
Buy 1.6 MT 184 hp AWD if you want turbo petrol AWD without the 218 hp car’s 107 mm clearance. You get 184 hp, 240 Nm, 7.8 s, 212 km/h, mixed 6.7, CO2 157, kerb 1370 kg, clearance 124 mm. Versus 1.6 MT 218 hp: −34 hp, −60 Nm, +0.9 s, −14 km/h, mixed −0.7, −30 kg, +17 mm clearance.
Buy 1.6 AT 184 hp only for Automatic on that engine: +0.4 s, −5 km/h, mixed 7.7, CO2 180 (highest CO2 in the list).
Buy 1.6 MT 211 hp FWD if you want the 6.9 s time on FWD with the best mixed figure of the fast petrols (6.7). Fuel is 98, injection is Distributed injection (multi-point), boost Turbo, CO2 not measured, kerb 1475 kg, clearance 124 mm. It is 75 kg heavier than 1.6 MT 218 hp despite 7 hp less.
Buy 1.6 AT 211 hp only for Automatic with that 6.9 s time: mixed 7.6, top 210 km/h, heaviest kerb 1495 kg, CO2 not measured, 98 fuel.
Buy 1.6 MT 218 hp AWD if the numbers that matter are peak power, torque and top speed: 218 hp, 300 Nm, 6.9 s, 226 km/h, Direct injection (direct), 95 fuel. Cost versus 1.6 MT 184 hp: mixed +0.7, CO2 +15, clearance 107 mm (lowest). Versus 1.6 MT 211 hp you gain AWD, +7 hp, +40 Nm, +11 km/h, and you are 75 kg lighter; you lose 0.7 mixed litres and 17 mm of clearance.
Problems and reliability: not measured in this dataset. Do not infer failure rates from power or Euro class.
Summary in one line: daily FWD petrol — 1.6 MT 122 hp; daily mpg — 1.6 MT 112 hp diesel FWD; AWD without the lowest ride height — 1.6 MT 184 hp; fastest — 1.6 MT 218 hp; 6.9 s without AWD — 1.6 MT 211 hp. Treat Automatic and 2.0 AT as convenience choices that the stopwatch and the mixed column do not reward.