4 days Ago By Jack Mortimer
A motoring expert has taken to YouTube to share a hidden feature on one of the most popular new cars , helping owners increase the amount of boot space without having to fold the seats down. Luke Shipp runs the YouTube channel lookship and regularly fronts videos in which he drives interesting performance and classic cars and showcases some of the more unusual features to be found on the latest models. In a popular video , Luke shows viewers a handy tip on his third-generation Mini Cooper hatchback, allowing him to adjust the rear seats to get additional boot space.
He explained: "Now, my John Cooper Works hatchback has a pretty small boot, and there's no surprises there. Rex normally rides shotgun with me, but for demonstration purposes, this is what a spaniel looks like in the back. But if you have a car full of people and are struggling to carry all of their bags, you can alter the rear seat angle using these nifty little brackets.
"All you need to do is drop the seats forward, swing them up 90 degrees, and pop the seat back. It doesn't look like a lot, but a couple of inches can make all the difference. Now, you've probably seen the little grey seats in the boot, but unless you've dropped the seats forward, you wouldn't know what they were for.
Now you do." Whilst the most effective way to increase boot space in a Mini is to fold the rear seats flat, drivers carrying more than two passengers can still get more carrying capacity by making a quick adjustment. To increase the amount of space in the back, drivers will need to open the tailgate and push the rear seats forward, revealing a small bracket that can be flipped upwards.
Pulling the seats back into position, rear passengers will need to sit more upright during trips, however the boot can be used to carry bulkier items that otherwise would not fit. Later in the video, Luke also highlighted how owners of Minis with the Excitement Pack can activate an unusual feature to make parking an easier experience. He added: "If you've had a skim through the menu, you'll probably know that you can change the centre console lights to one of three settings - either the driving mode that you're in, a solid colour to match the ambient lighting, or you can set it up so it acts as a rev counter.
"However, if you double up the Excitement Pack with parking sensors, the colour around the central screen will change depending on how close you are to an object, which is ideal if you're not that confident parking and you just need that little extra bit of warning." Whilst the model is currently being phased out in favour of the latest generation of the company's products, the third-generation Mini Hatch remains a popular choice for new and used buyers alike. Featuring a larger body, yet the same personable styling cues, many owners praise the range of powerful engines and overall build quality the Oxford-built model has to offer.
Drivers can pick up an older example of the third-generation Mini for as little as £3,000, with like-new models with under 1,000 miles on the clock available for about £20,000..
