MINI Cooper and Countryman EVs Official World Debut at IAA Mobility 2023

author: FutureCar Staff    

This year's IAA Mobility event in Munich will feature two world premieres from MINI, both of which are electric vehicles. The fourth-generation MINI Cooper and third-generation MINI Countryman have been teased over the past few months and will be officially presented at the event.

Starting with the Cooper, the carmaker has already revealed the exterior styling of the hatchback, which has been simplified compared to the outgoing model. Notable design cues include a blanked-off front grille with an octagonal shape, round integrated headlamps, and triangular taillights connected by a trim piece.

Inside, the redesigned Cooper takes inspiration from the original Mini, with a centrepiece being a circular OLED touchscreen display. The display measures 9.4 inches in diameter and features an ultra-thin bezel. The speedometer is displayed within the centre circle, along with additional information like the current gear and remaining range. There is also a head-up display for crucial driving information.

The new model omits the physical air-conditioning controls and relocates the panel of toggle switches higher to house the gear selector switch and controls for select vehicle functions.

The fully electric Cooper will likely be known as the MINI Electric and will be offered in two variants. The first variant, the E, comes with a 40.7-kWh battery and a front-mounted electric motor rated at 180 hp. The second variant, the SE, gets a 54.2-kWh battery and 215 hp. These battery capacities exceed that of the outgoing MINI Electric and should provide an expected range of between 300 to 400 km.

The rear shots of the new Cooper provided by MINI show the car with 'Cooper S' on its tailgate, indicating that it will also be offered with combustion engines, which may be electrified.

The upcoming MINI Electric is expected to be manufactured in China through a joint venture with Great Wall Motor, while the combustion engine Cooper will be built in the United Kingdom.

As for the Countryman, there are no photos of the crossover without any camouflage yet, but teaser images suggest that the general shape will be familiar. The new Countryman will be longer and taller than its predecessor for improved headroom.

The upcoming Countryman will be produced in Germany at BMW Group Plant Leipzig and will be offered with both all-electric and combustion engine powertrains. The all-electric options include the E variant with a front electric motor rated at 191 hp and the SE variant with an additional rear electric motor for all-wheel drive and 313 hp. Both options feature a 64-kWh battery with an estimated range of up to 450 km.

The IAA Mobility 2023 event in September will provide a more complete picture of MINI's next-generation line-up, including the Cooper and Countryman, as well as other models.

FutureCar Staff