Mini could showcase Volkswagen Golf rival – report

The Mini Clubman The wagon is said to be being chopped down and it could be replaced with a Volkswagen Golf-sized hatchback or a production version of the Vision Urbanaut passenger car.

“We have a small and flat car [Cooper]we have small and tall [Aceman] and we have big and tall [Countryman]. But we don’t have big and flat. Another body type is possible. I love analyzing different body types,” says Mini boss Stefanie Wurst. automatically express.

Insiders told the UK publication that the two body types being weighed are one volkswagen golf coursesmall hatchback or small passenger car.

Mini now offers a five-door hatchback but with a length of 4023mm, it is smaller than a Golf (length 4284mm) or Mini Clubman (4266mm).

A larger hatchback could help Mini’s growth plans in the US market, like the upcoming facelift. countryman is set to measure around 4.5m in length – about 200mm longer than the current crossover.

The hatch could share its updated FAAR platform with the next-generation Countryman, which is set to continue to deliver combustion power. It is set to launch in 2023.

The crossover’s plug-in hybrid option is also said to be being cut, but FAAR could support an electric powertrain. Currently, neither the five-door hatch and the Countryman are powered by electricity.

The electric car Vision Urbanaut concept is a completely different beast from any Mini product, past or present, and looks like it’s far from production-ready.

Revealed in 2020, it’s a small space car that’s 4.46m long, or about 160mm longer than the current Countryman crossover.

There are unusual touches like a pop-up windshield, a single sliding door, and an interior that resembles a modern living room rather than a typical commuting cabin.

Whether Mini would choose to introduce a mover like many European brands – such as Citroen and Renault – transitioning from this body style is unclear.

Mini promises that whatever “big, flat” option it introduces, it will take on the signature Mini style and give it a “go-kart” feel.

The current five-door hatch entered production in 2013, while the Clubman followed in 2015, which means both have to be replaced.

The Mini is about to undergo a significant overhaul to its model range.

The brand is splitting its three-door hatchback lineup into two models: an electric-only model, on a platform designed by Great Wall Motor, and a major update of the current internal combustion engine-powered model on the platform. FAAR platform. Both are expected in 2023.

A convertible version of the latter is due in 2025.

Also join scope is a new, smaller crossover – previewed by the Aceman concept – to stack below the upcoming, larger-sized Countryman.

The production model will run on a dedicated electric platform like the next-generation EV hatch and will have the same dimensions as the 4050mm-long concept.

Although Mini is best known for its hatchbacks, it has offered a variety of body styles since it was founded by BMW as an independent brand.

It offers a van version of the first-generation Clubman carriage, as well as a quirky three-door crossover called the Paceman produced between 2012 and 2016.

The Cabriolet is also joined by the more powerful Roadster (2012-15) and the Fixed Coupe (2011-15).

It also considered introducing a sedan and previewing an even smaller hatchback with the well-received Rocketman concept.

THAN: Mini Clubman, Countryman Hybrid will not be replaced – report