Next-gen Mini Countryman to get EV powertrain option

The new Mini Countryman SUV that will see a global debut next year, will be much larger than its predecessor, thus, stopping the brand from losing customers whose needs have outgrown its current line-up. Now, twinned with the BMW X1, the new Mini Countryman will be the first of the brand's new range, with an electric powertrain option for the first time.

• New Countryman EV to take on VD ID 4
• Will also get petrol powertrain options
• Global debut by February next year

Next-gen Mini Countryman SUV: what all will be new?

MIni says the new Countryman SUV will be aimed at growing families who require a more practical SUV with better cabin room for the second row as well as for the cargo. The Volkswagen ID 4 rival has also been conceived to grow the brand in the US market, among others, which favours larger vehicles – something Mini has not been able to cater to until now.

Visually, the new Countryman will differ from the current generation with a squarer front end, large front and rear overhangs and a more rugged treatment. It wears a more angular interpretation of Mini’s new bulbous headlights – as seen on the Cooper and Aceman. It will expand on the current car’s powertrain line-up, with electric power replacing the soon-to-be-axed plug-in hybrid, alongside a petrol offering.

The entry-level Countryman EV SUV will start with the Cooper’s and Aceman’s 54kWh battery, with a larger 64kWh unit offered in top-wrung SE guise. Although not confirmed yet, the longest-legged variant is expected to roughly match the next-gen BMW iX1’s 438km maximum range. Power will start at 191hp in the E, rising to 290hp in the SE. The SUV will also be the only Mini offered with four-wheel drive, for both electric and combustion variants. Next-gen Mini Countryman JCW variants, arriving in both ICE and EV forms, will not just offer extra grunt, but also get visual cues such as red brake calipers and quad-exit exhausts.

Expect more details on the next-gen Mini Countryman to be revealed closer to the SUVs global debut by February next year.

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