Car Reviews > SEAT > Mii > SEAT Mii Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Rating: 4
Prices: £7500 (estimated)
Engine: 1.0-litre 3-cylinder petrol
Gearbox: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power/torque: 74 bhp/ 95 Nm
0-62 mph: 13.2 seconds
Top Speed: 106 miles per hour
Economy: 60.1 miles per gallon
Emissions: 108g per kilometre
Equipment: 14-inch alloy wheels, 60/40 split folding rear seats, air conditioning, 7 airbags, MP3 CD player, electric windows, multifunction steering wheel
On Sale: January 2012

This is the third new city car to be based on the VW Up! and is also SEAT’s very first entry in the small car market since the release of the Arosa, but is it actually any good?

The SEAT Mii completes the VW Group’s triptych of compact new city cars. The Mii is already on sale in Spain and will arrive in showrooms in the United Kingdom in two months in January, with the intention of taking on sister cars such as the Volkswagen Up! and the Skoda Citigo as well as more established rivals including the likes of the Toyota Aygo and the Fiat 500.

In order to make the SEAT Mii able to stand out from the crowd in what is a rapidly growing market, the vehicle gets the company’s own family design language, with a considerably narrower ‘arrowhead’ grille design as well as bespoke bumpers, an oversized pair of front headlights and tweaked rear clusters. All of which serve to give the Mii its own unique personality.

It is surprisingly sporty in the metal, particularly when it comes to the optional 15-inch alloys of the Sport. However, the VW Group DNA is very clear, and just as with the understated Skoda Citigo, the Mii utilises bigger and more rounded back windows as well as a metal, instead of glass, tailgate in order to distinguish itself from the Up!

For the interior of the vehicle, drivers should very quickly become comfortable thanks to the reassuringly simple layout of the dashboard and the rock solid nature of the build quality. The only minor irritation is the inability of the steering wheel to be able to adjust for reach, although the remainder of the cabin has a surprisingly airy feel to it when sat behind the wheel, a sensation that is only enhanced by just how far back the windscreen is set.

The tall seating position and large glass surfaces create excellent visibility all around, while the two-tone plastics in the mid-range car makes certain that it never feels too drab. The company is intending to offer a variety of personalisation options that will include decals, stickers and unique colour options that allow consumers to be able to put their own little touches on the vehicle. The firm is hoping that, together with the £300 portable GPS system, this will ensure that the Mii has an edge over its rivals.

Space in the rear of the vehicle is also surprisingly good thanks to the impressive 2.4-metre wheelbase. While taller passengers probably will not relish the thought of spending too much time in the rear, the Mii still offers the kind of room that ten years ago drivers of city cars were only dreaming about. Indeed, the clever, double-layered boot of the Mii is almost twice the size of the Arosa, even though the two vehicles share similar exterior dimensions.

The steering, gear change and clutch are all wonderfully light, making the Mii a very simple vehicle to drive, and yet still with enough directness to be able to inspire confidence. The suspension is rather softly sprung, meaning the body rolls into corners quite heavily, but the upside is a very composed ride with the cabin isolated from bumps in the road.

by Autoweb