The latest Mini retains its cute little looks even though it has grown by 98mm to 3821mm, say executives at the BMW-owned British brand.

The longer body, plus an added 28mm to the wheelbase means the new Mini has more space in the rear for passengers and 50 liters more luggage space at 211 liters.

The third-generation Mini looks very much like its predecessor but beneath the body shell a lot has changed. The car debuts a new front-wheel-drive platform that will also be used by BMW brand’s compact models.

The new Mini has a more upscale interior and a new engine lineup.

Mini’s global sales rose by a little more than 1 percent to a record 305,030 units last year, with the hatchback variant accounting for 128,478 of those sales.

Peter Schwarzenbauer, BMW’s board member in charge of Mini, thinks that sales result is a great achievement given the economic woes in the brand’s European home region. “It shows the strength of the brand,” he said.