Mini Countryman EV confirmed for production in 2023

The forthcoming second-generation Mini Countryman volition statesman accumulation astatine BMW Group's works successful Leipzig this year, bearing a dense redesign and larger proportions over the outgoing car.

The Countryman volition beryllium the archetypal Mini produced wholly successful Germany astatine what BMW calls "one of the astir modern and sustainable automotive factories successful the world", and volition participate the highly-competitive mid-sized crossover conception with a prime of combustion and electrical power.

It shares its FAAR front-driven architecture with the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, 2 Series Gran Coupé and the caller BMW X1 crossover, and beryllium built alongside them successful Leipzig, making it the archetypal clip BMW and Mini products are manufactured together.

This second-generation car volition ditch plug-in hybrid powerfulness for petrol and pure-electric drivetrain options, but a diesel mentation volition beryllium offered extracurricular the UK market.

The electrical car is expected to usage a akin drivetrain set-up to its BMW twin, which comes with a centrifugal mounted connected each axle for 4WD, 309bhp and 0-62mph successful 5.7sec. If replicated, this would marque the Mini Countryman Electric the brand's astir almighty ever car.  

The pure-combustion car volition connection 48V mild-hybrid exertion with either a 168bhp 1.5-litre three-cylinder or 215bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engines. 

Late successful 2022, Autocar got its archetypal look astatine a camoflagued range-topper. The trial mule gave itself distant with a beefy quad-exit exhaust, sports alloys and salient rear spoiler. While the JCW badge is usually fixed to Mini's show models, it is not yet cognize whether this, the astir almighty Countryman, volition deterioration it. The marque has, however confirmed its intentions to transportation the nameplate done to its electrified merchandise range. 

Importantly, however, FAAR volition not beryllium utilized for Mini's caller three-door hatchback, the electrical mentation of which volition beryllium built successful China arsenic portion of a caller associated task betwixt BMW and Great Wall Motors and usage a level supplied by the latter, portion the petrol car volition beryllium an improvement implicit the existent exemplary and proceed to beryllium built successful Oxford. 

Crucially, the Countryman volition be noticeably bigger than today's car, with aboriginal estimates suggesting a 200mm summation successful magnitude to supply enhanced load capableness and limb room. Effectively, this summation volition bump Mini's crossover into a caller segment, moving it distant from rivals specified arsenic the Toyota CH-R and Nissan Juke, and lining it up against larger, much premium-focused cars similar the Audi Q3 and Volvo XC40.  

The Countryman's tenure arsenic Mini's lone SUV exemplary is astir up. It volition beryllium joined successful dealerships soon aft motorboat by an all-new electrical crossover exemplary built successful China by Great Wall Motors, arsenic portion of the 'Spotlight' associated task betwixt the 2 companies - previewed by the bold Aceman concept.