The repercussions of this terrible period in time we’re currently going through, specifically for the automotive industry, might be more severe than we imagined at first. We already know all car makers are facing tough times but those who were already on a downward slope are going to be hit the hardest. MINI falls into that category and, according to a new report, the British company will start cutting some dead weight.
MINI was already seeing dwindling sales, before the pandemic hit. The company was struggling to get sales to pick up but, in a world where big SUVs dominate every market, that was a tough job to begin with. Especially if you look at the line-up MINI has. Now, it looks like the management is looking at whichever model sells the least and taking an axe to it. According to a report from Automotive News and their sources, the MINI Convertible will be the first one to go.
The car is bound to get a facelift later on this year, the second one for the current generation. As one might expect, since there’s no money to invest in a new model, the current one will be getting small improvements, to keep it relevant for as long as possible. That said, MINI has been seeing a drop in demand for drop tops for quite some time now. Only 30,000 of them were built last year and that’s a decrease of 14 percent compared to 2016, for example.
One of the reasons why the MINI Convertible is not doing so great is the pricing and size. People really want bigger cars these days and, if they stick with a smaller model, they will pick the cheaper choice and that includes the Mazda MX-5, which is still a fan favorite. Roughly within the same price point you’ll also find a Mustang or a Camaro, both convertibles and considerably bigger. For now, this is just a rumor, but if it turns out to be true, we could face a world without a drop top MINI starting with 2024.
[Source: Automotive News]
