By the second half of 2023, the new MINI hatchback is expected to appear. It will be shorter and lighter than the current model and more spacious inside. The range will again consist of petrol and electric versions.
According to reports Mini has invited Autocar to join them for a round of winter testing in a development prototype of the future electric hatchback, where the company stated that its model range will be rationalized over the next five years, with a significant push toward electric powertrains.
The new electric vehicles will be mechanically unrelated to petrol-engined Minis, unlike the present Mini Electric, which is based on a basis that wasn’t originally created with electrification in mind.
As with the Cooper SE, which shares its platform with the ICE-powered variants, the next-generation model in the electric form will convert to a dedicated platform to deliver all the benefits associated with bespoke EVs and be compromised from day one.
According to British Autocar, the upcoming 2023 MINI electric car will be extended by 40 millimeters (nearly 1.6 inches) for added legroom and slightly shorter.
In addition, the EV will gain larger tracks to increase inside space. It will be possible by utilizing an electric-only platform with a much reduced front overhang.
Despite the fact that the ICE and EV versions will appear to be similar, they will be very different behind their familiar skins. The zero-emission MINI will be built in China by a joint venture between BMW Group and Great Wall Motor. The two have partnered to produce electric vehicles. MINI is in charge of development, but the car will be constructed utilizing Great Wall Motor components.
Therefore, engineers will be able to incorporate a larger battery than the Cooper SE’s 32.6-kWh pack, of which only 288.9 kWh is usable. It will pay off in terms of range if it can go further than the present car’s WLTP-estimated 144 miles (235 kilometers).
The EPA has given the sleek EV a range of 114 miles in the United States (183 kilometers). Even so, it’s still better than the Mazda MX-30’s 100-mile range.
MINI will sell three- and five-door hatchbacks, as well as the convertible, as combustion versions made in Oxford. They’ll all be built on the same revised FAAR architecture as the 2 Series Active Tourer.
Thus, the next-generation Countryman and BMW X1 will use the same platform and MINI will only sell conventionally powered MINIs with gasoline engines, with some models perhaps featuring a mild hybrid system. Diesel, like plug-in hybrids, has already been ruled out by the corporation.
