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Mini just unveiled its new Cooper and Countryman EVs at the Munich Motor Show this past week, but the brand is still hard at work on the rest of its future lineup. Alongside the upcoming Aceman crossover, which will slot below the latest Countryman with a fully electric powertrain, the Cooper is set to gain a number of variants beyond the hardtop two-door we've been shown. This comes despite Mini's plans to free its lineup of complications.
Speaking to Autocar, Head of Mini brand Stephanie Wurst confirmed new five-door and convertible variants for the Cooper EV, which will align it perfectly with the existing ICE Cooper. Note that the gas-powered hatchback is set to receive updates of its own sometime next year. "We have so much to do with the roll-out of the family we’ve just announced. The Aceman is still missing, the John Cooper Works variations are all to come. We only speak about the three-door but we actually have a five-door coming, and we have a convertible as well."
The confirmation of these models contradicts unofficial reports that both the five-door and convertible Cooper models were on their way out. The five-door was said to be replaced by the Aceman EV, while the convertible was supposed to be axed due to slow sales in recent years. The five-door may come to serve as a replacement for the Clubman wagon, which will end production on the early side of 2024.
One thing that won't be returning to the Cooper, however, is a manual transmission. In a separate interview with Top Gear, Wurst plainly told the British magazine, "We won’t have a manual unfortunately." This is likely due to the Cooper EV adopting a column shifter, which is expected to carry over to the updated ICE Mini. Aside from that, there are no other expected changes to its gas powertrain lineup. Reports say that the gas-powered Mini will look almost identical to its new EV counterpart, even though the two models ride on completely separate platforms.
While the Cooper lineup could end up getting a bit crowded, there aren't plans for anything beyond the iconic hatchback. Aside from the Aceman crossover, Wurst said that plans for an electric minivan based on the Urbanaut concept from 2021 are "in the freezer." As for other models, Mini isn't taking a lot of time to expand its lineup rapidly. "It’s now not the time to talk about new models, but it will come with time," Wurst said. "It's a question of architecture as well, and we have to work in a cost-effective way. A Mini model has to have a clear use case, a clear size and the variants have to be limited." She added that anything bigger than the Countryman would have to be a completely different body style, in order to reduce overlap.
Which new Mini would you choose?
Image Credits: Mini
Future Cars
Sep 6, 2023
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New Mini Cooper To Lose Manual, Add Five-Door And Convertible Variants
Despite aiming for a simplified lineup, Mini still has plenty of new models coming down the pipeline.
Mini just unveiled its new Cooper and Countryman EVs at the Munich Motor Show this past week, but the brand is still hard at work on the rest of its future lineup. Alongside the upcoming Aceman crossover, which will slot below the latest Countryman with a fully electric powertrain, the Cooper is set to gain a number of variants beyond the hardtop two-door we've been shown. This comes despite Mini's plans to free its lineup of complications.
Speaking to Autocar, Head of Mini brand Stephanie Wurst confirmed new five-door and convertible variants for the Cooper EV, which will align it perfectly with the existing ICE Cooper. Note that the gas-powered hatchback is set to receive updates of its own sometime next year. "We have so much to do with the roll-out of the family we’ve just announced. The Aceman is still missing, the John Cooper Works variations are all to come. We only speak about the three-door but we actually have a five-door coming, and we have a convertible as well."
The confirmation of these models contradicts unofficial reports that both the five-door and convertible Cooper models were on their way out. The five-door was said to be replaced by the Aceman EV, while the convertible was supposed to be axed due to slow sales in recent years. The five-door may come to serve as a replacement for the Clubman wagon, which will end production on the early side of 2024.
One thing that won't be returning to the Cooper, however, is a manual transmission. In a separate interview with Top Gear, Wurst plainly told the British magazine, "We won’t have a manual unfortunately." This is likely due to the Cooper EV adopting a column shifter, which is expected to carry over to the updated ICE Mini. Aside from that, there are no other expected changes to its gas powertrain lineup. Reports say that the gas-powered Mini will look almost identical to its new EV counterpart, even though the two models ride on completely separate platforms.
While the Cooper lineup could end up getting a bit crowded, there aren't plans for anything beyond the iconic hatchback. Aside from the Aceman crossover, Wurst said that plans for an electric minivan based on the Urbanaut concept from 2021 are "in the freezer." As for other models, Mini isn't taking a lot of time to expand its lineup rapidly. "It’s now not the time to talk about new models, but it will come with time," Wurst said. "It's a question of architecture as well, and we have to work in a cost-effective way. A Mini model has to have a clear use case, a clear size and the variants have to be limited." She added that anything bigger than the Countryman would have to be a completely different body style, in order to reduce overlap.
Which new Mini would you choose?
Image Credits: Mini
