Mini could introduce rival Volkswagen Golf – report

The Mini Clubman The wagon is reportedly being cut 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 are not wide and flat. Another body type is possible. I love analyzing different body types,” says Mini boss Stefanie Wurst Auto Express.

The insider 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 set to measure about 4.5m long – about 200mm longer than current crossovers.

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 on the trim block, but FAAR could support an electric powertrain. Neither the five-door hatchback nor the Countryman are currently available with electric power.

The electric car Vision Urbanaut concept is a monster completely different from any Mini product, past or present, and looks a long way 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 distinctive Mini style and give it a “go-kart” feel.

The current five-door hatchback entered production in 2013, while the next Clubman came in 2015, meaning both are about to be replaced.

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

The brand is dividing 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 FAAR platform. . Both are expected in 2023.

A convertible version of the latter is due in 2025.

Also, range join is a new, smaller crossover – previewed by the Aceman concept – to drop below the upcoming, upgraded 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 was also joined by the more powerful Roadster (2012-15) and fixed-head 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