Advertisement
BBC TopGear
BBC TopGear
Subscribe to Top Gear newsletter
Sign up now for more news, reviews and exclusives from Top Gear.
Subscribe
News

The new Mini Countryman has a hybrid

Teaser shot shows the all-new Mini SUV in its plug-in form

Published: 17 Oct 2016

Mini has announced it’s making a plug-in hybrid, and this picture suggests it’s a variant of the all-new Countryman SUV.

The second-gen Countryman arrives in the next couple of weeks, and like the BMW 2-Series people carrier it shares its platform with, there’ll be a petrol-electric version, too.

Advertisement - Page continues below

Mini hasn’t disclosed details of the powertrain itself, but if it’s the same as the BMW 225xe’s, it will involve the Mini Cooper’s 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine powering the front axle, and an electric motor taking care of the rear. Kind of like a backwards BMW i8

In the 225xe, it leads to a headline figure of 141mpg, with around 50-60mpg more likely in real life. Mini promises plenty of electric-only usability, too, with the motor able to power the car right up to 78mph. Though we imagine battery life won’t be huge if you do so.

“In a hybrid Mini model, driving electrically must also be an exhilarating experience,” says Mini’s Sebastian Mackensen. “This means that entirely electric driving is not limited to speeds of 30 or 40 km/h, but to speeds well beyond city traffic pace.”

Indeed, driving fun is something Mini is keen people associate with its hybrid, with many, many mentions of ‘go-kart feeling’. This does not mean you have to put a weird sock over your head before popping on a helmet, or that eager 14-year-olds will push you into the gravel at every corner. Rather, that it will be a laugh to drive.

Advertisement - Page continues below

It will be rear-drive only when the electric motor is doing all the work, though the stability control systems can kick the engine (and hence the front axle) into life to counter any skids.

Mini wants the car to resemble any other Countryman, too, with the only tell-tale signs being an additional filler cap, a starter button that flashes yellow (instead of red) and a power reserve meter in place of the rev-counter.

Firmer details should arrive with the unveiling of the new maxi-Mini in a couple of weeks, which we’re expecting to look a little neater than the current Countryman, too. The hybrid is likely to be the range-topper, price-wise, given its BMW equivalent costs over £30,000.

Top Gear
Newsletter

Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.

More from Top Gear

Loading
See more on Mini

Subscribe to the Top Gear Newsletter

Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, you agree to receive news, promotions and offers by email from Top Gear and BBC Studios. Your information will be used in accordance with our privacy policy.

BBC TopGear

Try BBC Top Gear Magazine

subscribe