MINI has refreshed nearly its entire lineup for 2024, and that includes the 3-Door Hatch. Codenamed F66, the stylish city car touched down in Greece where it was photographed in Athens. Seen here is the hooter Cooper S painted in British Racing Green with a contrasting black roof. The diminutive hatchback rides on the optional 18-inch, two-tone wheels dubbed “Night Flash.”
The Oxford-based marque has yet to reveal the 5-Door Hatch but we know for a fact it’s coming soon. It’ll go by the “F65” internal codename and it too will spawn a Cooper S derivative. Once again, only the 3-Door Hatch is getting the John Cooper Works treatment. That means the more practical body style will top out at 204 hp (150 kW) and 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) of torque. Regardless of the number of doors, there are only two pedals inside. MINI has phased out the manual gearbox, without any plans to bring the stick shift back.
Much like its parent company BMW, MINI wants to cater to a wider audience, knowing hatchbacks are not for everyone. Some people still prefer a convertible, which is why the F67 is debuting this fall with gasoline engines. It too will be sold in a Cooper S guise by utilizing the same turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder unit. It’s the tried-and-tested B48 found in a variety of BMW products, including the new M135 revealed earlier this week.
As you’ve probably heard by now, MINI intends to go fully electric around the end of the decade. It effectively means these new models are the last to come with combustion engines. Everything coming after 2030 will be sold strictly as an EV. Rolls-Royce has announced a similar strategy by planning to retire the venerable V12 engine about six years from now.
The core BMW marque will keep conventional powertrains well into the 2030s, although the future doesn’t look great for diesel engines. Decreasing demand and tougher emissions regulations are expected to accelerate the death of the oil-burner.
Source: MINI Greece
