MINI will soon launch a smaller replacement for the Hatch, with the Electric version being built in China and the petrol variant in the UK.
Our spy photographers have spotted the next MINI Hatch tackling its Arctic development programme, this time with an electric powertrain. The fourth-generation version of the BMW MINI will get smaller as part of the redesign, and it’s based on a new electric platform co-designed with the Chinese manufacturer Great Wall.
BMW hopes that its compact redesign of the MINI will allow it to steal a few sales off rivals, although these spy images show it’ll be an evolution of the current-generation MINI Hatch rather than a faithful throwback to Issegonis’s original design.
The headlights and front bumper are quite similar to the current car’s, sharing the same bulbous styling. However, the windscreen has been raked back a little further, likely to help improve aerodynamics and maximise the amount of range for the Electric variant.
MINI has given the Hatch’s rear end a much more thorough overhaul. There’s a new set of trapezoidal tail lights hiding under the camouflage (which are unlike anything we’ve seen on a MINI before), connected by a fresh trim piece running across the tailgate.
The front and rear overhangs look considerably shorter than the current model, but it’s entirely possible that the car’s wheelbase will be the same as its predecessor’s. The distance between the front wheels and the driver looks about the same as before, which drops a pretty major hint about the car’s size.
We’ve also seen the interior of the next MINI, courtesy of some opportunistic spy shots of a completely uncamouflaged prototype that was recently spotted in China. MINI has made another evolution over the current model here, fitting a larger circular infotainment screen in the centre of the dashboard.
The brand’s trademark toggle switches have survived the update, but the digital gauge cluster fixed to the steering column of the current car has been swapped for a head-up display mounted on top of the dashboard. The quirky two-spoke steering wheel is new, too.
The next MINI Hatch will be available with a choice of both petrol and electric powertrains – at least in the early stages of its life. The electric version will be built in China on a platform that was jointly developed between BMW and Chinese SUV maker Great Wall.
Luke Wilkinson
Keyword: 2023 MINI Hatch spy pics show smaller model