ANOTHER shape is joining the MINI clan in the form of a super-sized sporty coupe.

The Paceman is based on the largest MINI - the four-door Countryman - and like its brother comes in either all wheel drive or conventional front wheel drive formats.

With sleek lines, a sloping roof and a lower profile the Paceman's looks are unmissable and it is back in the traditional MINI groove of being a two door car.

Significantly larger than the classic MINI hatch, the Paceman is a true four seater and comes with a decent sized boot.

It is also the most expensive model in the MINI range with prices running from £18,970 for one in Cooper trim to £29,55 for the high performance John Cooper Works model - and that's £800 more than the Countryman.

Diesels costs from £20,210 and the cheapest all wheel drive version is £21,400.

Daring to be different, the Paceman is the seventh body style in the MINI line up which has recently branched out on the design front to include two seater roadster and coupes.

The Countryman came on the scene last year and as the first four door MINI it's been taking the likes of the VW Golf and the more mainstream Ford Focus head on.

Sales have soared and the larger MINI now accounts for almost a third of the 50,000 MINIs sold in the UK last year.

The Paceman is out to build on that success and comes with a choice of 1.6-litre petrol engines or two-litre diesels with various power outputs ranging from 112 to 218bhp.

In the middle of the range are the potent Cooper S models which will set the pace for the Paceman.

At this level the petrol version delivers 184bhp which gives a lively performance of 0 to 60 in 7.5 seconds, a top speed of 135mph and a claimed combined fuel figure of 46.3mpg.

It is quicker and more dynamic to drive then the diesel which with 143bhp on tap takes 9.3 seconds to go from 0 to 60 but comes with the bonus of extra economy, officially gauged at 57.6mpg.

Emissions for the petrol engine are rated at 143g/km and 130 for the diesel and although we failed to get near the official mpg figures both were fairly lean averaging 47mpg for the diesel and 39 for the petrol.

Given that the diesel Paceman we drove came with MINI's all wheel drive All4 transmission that return was impressive.

On the road the Paceman is noticeably more composed than the Countryman but it is still not in the same league as the smaller MINIs - the larger body negating much of the car's legendary go-kart handling.

Jinking through bends is not the Paceman's forte and it is much more at home cruising.

Front wheel drive versions felt more nimble when turning into corners while the fully automated All4 system, which may give more grip, produced a sterile feel to the handling.

Inside the Paceman is a treat with the four seat configuration providing plenty of space front and back - and despite the sloping roof line there is a good amount of headroom all round.

Boot space ranging from 330 to 1,080 litres is large by MINI standards and can take two full sized cases with ease.

A gadget rail can be fitted to run front to back through the middle of the cockpit allowing for cupholders, glasses cases or the like to be attached conveniently while in typical MINI fashion there are plenty of personal options.

The diesel Paceman we tried had a list price of £24,290 yet tipped the scales at £30,975 with extras including sat nav, a Harman Kardon hi-fi and the MINI Chili pack which includes front fog lamps, a multi function steering wheel and posh floor mats.

The Paceman is built alongside the Countryman at the specialist Magna Steyr factory in Austria and not at MINI's spiritual home in Oxford which this year is celebrating 100 years of car production.

As the new flagship of the MINI fleet the Paceman is venturing into pastures new with its unmistakable looks but it has a definite flair which will set it apart from anything else on the road.