The fourth-generation Mini line-up is again set to include closely related three-door, five-door and Cabriolet models, as well as the larger Clubman and Countryman.
It will grow to also include a crossover model that’s larger than the Countryman. The crossover could revive the Traveller name and the electric version will be twinned with the next-generation BMW i3, as previously reported by Autocar.
Regarding the crossover, Körber said that although “it would be hard to imagine a Mini the size of a BMW X3 or X5”, there is a need in the next-generation Mini range “to address the growth in SUVs and look at if we need a compact SUV”.
He added: “The Countryman is a very small SUV. In the US and China, there are certain needs. We will look at a compact SUV in the next generation. There are lots of benefits with a car like that for urban use. For me, it’s a good match.”
Although such a car would be the biggest Mini, Körber said it would still be one of the smallest in its segment. “There’s interest in the small car segments. We can stretch the interpretation of Mini always being the smallest but I can’t imagine being bigger in a segment. We need to fulfil a requirement on size,” he said.
Each future Mini is set to be offered with a choice of petrol and electric drivetrains, with plug-in hybrids also featuring in larger models. Diesel is unlikely to appear in the future line-up as part of the switch towards electrification. Diesel is already no longer offered in Minis sold in the UK but it is available in other markets.
The three-door hatch will be the only electric model in the current-generation Mini range as there are no plans to launch electric versions of the five-door or Cabriolet models.
Mini’s familiar One, Cooper and Cooper S badges will be retained in the future to signal different performance levels and Körber said high-performance John Cooper Works models will continue to be a feature of the Mini range.
Körber also said Mini will continue to offer internal combustion engines in cars in the next-generation range alongside battery-electric versions, something that will be the case for at least the next five to 10 years.
In the long term, he believes Mini’s customer base and brand positioning are well placed for Mini to become a solely electric brand.
The Clubman, Countryman and Traveller models will be based on BMW’s natively front-wheel-drive FAAR platform, as seen on the new BMW 1 Series. It’s not yet clear if the three-door, five-door and Cabriolet models will also be built on that architecture or a new smaller one understood to be in development with Chinese firm Great Wall.