Battery-powered MINI SUV to offer up to 450km of range and will be made in Germany for the first time
The next-gen 2024 MINI Countryman has been officially teased in a garish pink disguise ahead of production commencing this November in Germany for the first time.
But the big news is there will indeed be a battery-powered version of MINI’s compact SUV for the first time.
When it arrives in 2024, the third-generation MINI Countryman will be the biggest MINI yet and there will be not one but two EV versions – one with a single motor that musters 140kW and another with dual motors punching out 230kW.
If that’s not enough, later on there will be an even more powerful high-performance John Cooper Works version that should produce as much as 300kW to deliver a sub-5.0sec 0-100km/h sprint time.
With a 64.7kWh battery, MINI says the new Countryman should be capable of covering up to 450km (WLTP). A smaller 54kWh battery is also tipped to become available, at least in some markets, for a lower price at the expense of range.
Measuring in at 4429mm, making it 130mm longer than before, and standing 1613mm tall (up 60mm), the latest Countryman is now closer to the BMW X1 in size than ever before, although the X1 remains 71mm longer and 29mm taller.
Both compact SUVs ride on the same flexible FAAR platform and the Countryman should be offered with 1.5-litre three-cylinder and 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engines, both incorporating 48-volt mild-hybrid tech – as per the X1.
Expect power to range from 110kW to 160kW for the mild-hybrids and, from launch, a plug-in hybrid Countryman should bring even more power (180-240kW) and an all-electric range of up to 90km.
As well as a full range of electrified powertrains, MINI says 70 per cent of the cast alloy used in its wheels will be sourced from aluminium supplied using green energy.
Further helping to make the new Countryman kinder on the environment, inside the cabin its dashboard, headlining, flooring and mats will be made from recycled drink bottles, while outside there will be none of the energy-intensive decorative chrome or metallic trim seen on other MINIs.
In total, MINI says it has slashed emissions from making the materials by 85 per cent, while four wind turbines at BMW’s Leipzig plant in Germany – where production will shift to from Oxford, UK – should ensure the Countryman becomes the BMW-owned small-car brand’s most sustainable model yet.
MINI Australia is yet to confirm when the new Countryman will land here, but it’s tripped to arrive in local showrooms around mid-2024.
On a similar timeline is the all-new MINI Aceman, a smaller all-electric five-door SUV to replace both the five-door MINI hatch and the Clubman wagon.
It’s due to be revealed in production guise later this year, ahead of its global release in 2024.
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Keyword: All-electric 230kW MINI Countryman previewed