The all-new Mini hatchback has been seen for the first time, having shed its camouflage ahead of a launch early next year.
The second generation of Mini’s small EV – now called the Cooper – will be built in China atop a new front-wheel-drive platform engineered by Spotlight Automotive, BMW’s joint venture with Great Wall.
A petrol-engined version, evolved more obviously from the current car, will be builtin Oxford, sitting on an entirely different platform but taking the same design direction. Autocar has already reported in-depth details of the long-awaited 2024 Cooper, following a briefing from Mini boss Stefanie Wurst and a prototype ride in Sweden, but this is, at long last, our first look at the final production design.
The resemblance to today’s car is evident, and indeed it still measures roughly 3800mm from bumper to bumper, but it’s clear Mini’s designers have worked hard to make good on a promise to bring “the iconic hatch back to its roots”.
A wider track, shorter overhangs, a longer wheelbase and larger wheels give the Fiat 500 rival a noticeably more purposeful stance, while the company’s vocal commitment to minimalism (and thereby sustainability) extends to a much purer and simpler overall treatment.
Gone are the chunky black plastic wheel-arch claddings, clamshell bonnet, contrasting trim accents and chrome headlight surrounds of today’s Mini Electric, in favour of a fresh look majoring more on function than fashion.
Wurst recently gave Autocar some insight into why the car was being reinvented with less of an overt ‘premium’ focus: “I think Mini in away is a very modern and contemporary product. It isn’t about being big or premium, it’s about a certain lifestyle that you have. You take things more easily, you’re not tense about what your income status is, what kind of hierarchy level you work at. It’s more a state of mind.”
The interior of the new car has yet to be shown, but it will follow suit with an emphasis on approachability and simplicity. There will be an ignition key-style starter, for example, and physical switches and buttons will still be used for the most important controls. Mini’s trademark circular central display will be filled by an infotainment screen and there will be no traditional gauge cluster, with important data and information instead displayed in a “funky” way on the dashboard.