Even though BMW’s third generation Mini series dates to November 2013, all three bodies will remain in production for a few years yet. A second facelift announced in January sees cars in dealerships from this month. That includes John Cooper Works versions, these having been previewed in April.
The F56 three-door and F55 five-door likely won’t have successors until 2023 or 2024, while the next convertible, which replaces F57, is as far off as 2025. The open-roof model will likely be the last Mini not be launched with electric-only power. As for production, ‘Plant Oxford’ (Cowley) should be the lead plant, while there could be additional build in Hungary and China.
The Cooper SE/Mini Electric has been far more in demand than many had thought given its small battery pack and range. The electric version of F56 should therefore expand into at least one additional body style for the next generation, that being a five-door hatchback, and perhaps a convertible too. There should even be a John Cooper Works GPE variant: BMW dropped heavy hints about such a project with a statement to the media in November 2020.
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By GlobalDataThere are differing assumptions on how BMW will replace the Clubman. On the one hand, this small estate could have a direct successor, although the business case seems marginal given that the current model has never been a big seller.
What might instead happen is the evolution of the F54 Clubman into a larger crossover available with electric and petrol power. Images of the Vision Urbanaut, a concept, were made public in November 2020. These were likely to have been a signal that an MPV-SUV around the same size (4,460 mm long) is coming possibly as soon as 2022 or 2023.
Crossovers & SUVs
Spotlight Automotive, BMW AG and Great Wall Motor‘s joint venture, will produce several Mini models in Jiangsu province’s Zhangjiagang Economic & Technological Development Zone. The first vehicle should be a small electric crossover positioned below the BMW X1. This, it is thought, will be the effective replacement for the BMW i3. As for timing, the market launch should take place in 2023.
In October 2020, BMW confirmed that several Mini electric vehicles were on the way. The confusingly worded press release did not name models but instead contained these sentences: “The future core portfolio of all-electric vehicles will include the Mini 3-Door Hatch, a new crossover model in the small-car segment and a compact crossover model. The brand’s small-car models and a crossover model in the compact segment will be available to choose from with conventional internal combustion engines”.
The same 28 October 2020 media release confirmed that there will be a replacement for the Countryman, further noting, “In addition, the next generation of Mini Countryman will be available with both combustion engines and an electrified drivetrain, meeting the different requirements of customers all over the world”.
Earlier the same month VDL told the media that BMW had chosen not to give it the manufacturing contract for this model, so there won’t be any production in The Netherlands.
Not quite four weeks after BMW Group’s October 2020 press release, the company made another official statement, this time adding that, “From 2023, BMW Group Plant Leipzig…will produce the successor to the MINI Countryman, with a combustion engine and as a fully-electric variant”. The company further stated that “combustion engine” means petrol and diesel and that front- and all-wheel drive variants would be offered.
Reports for many other manufacturers’ future models are grouped in the OEM product strategy summaries section of just-auto.com.
Future platform intelligence
More detail on past, current and forthcoming models can be found in PLDB, the future vehicles database which is part of GlobalData’s Automotive Intelligence Center.
This is the second-to-last of six features in a series which looks at certain current and future models from BMW AG’s brands. The first report concerned BMW’s next generation cars. This was followed by SUVs and crossovers, then i division and M GmbH, with Rolls-Royce to be the final report.
