The upcoming MINI models are currently under development and it looks like there will be some drastic changes included in the mix. The people over at Auto Express had a sitdown with the current MINI boss, Bernd Koerber at the Frankfurt Motor Show and he discussed his plans with the iconic British model. Apparently, the British brand is pondering making the hardtop a fully electric model from the get go.
This would allow them to shrink the car’s size, to return to its original goal of being used as a proper city car. Without the internal combustion engine and everything that comes with it, making the MINI Hardtop smaller could be done without sacrificing interior space. With the MINI Cooper SE becoming available next year, the company would have a car on the market for a couple of years before the new model shows up, to gather as much info on the challenges an EV poses as possible.
“I would love to see MINI move back to the essence of clever use of space,” he told Auto Express. “That means the outer proportions on the core MINI Hatch could be reduced. I can see that happening. The benefit of electrification is that you don’t have to compromise on function.”
“If you fit the battery wisely, you can go smaller but still offer functionality. We are in the process at the moment of looking into how we can make something that fits specifically the requirements of the small car segment. We have to see in the next few months what engineering and design can come up with as a solution.”
This would be a perfect solution to a number of problems – including interior space – and would make the hatch an incredibly fun car to drive. There is still time until 2022 for a market launch, but it looks like the engineers in Munich are already working on it.
