OXFORD, ENGLAND - With each generation of modern Mini having grown in size, we’re already at that point where the Mini is not really a true mini anymore, but that could change in the next generation, according to a new report.
Bernd Körber, who heads up the Mini brand, recently told
that he wants the next-generation Mini hatchback to be smaller.
“We are having proportion and design discussions at the moment,” he told the UK publication.
“Hopefully in the next generation, we can make it even more compact, back to where Mini comes from.
Körber also said that he hoped to launch the new-generation Mini in three to four years from now, meaning it shouldn’t hit the market later than 2023.
The three-door Mini currently measures 3850mm in length, while the five-door stretches to 3982mm. The first-generation BMW-designed Mini of 2001 was just 3626mm long, but even that dwarfed the original British Motor Corporation Mini of 1959, which measured 3054mm.
However, according to the Autocar report, the fourth-generation BMW Mini won’t be dramatically smaller than today’s car. The car is also expected to offer a choice between petrol and electric powertrains.
Mini’s first fully-electric car, the
, was revealed earlier this year. Expected to touch down in South Africa in 2021, the battery-powered hatch has a 135kW motor and can achieve a range of up to 270km/h between charges.
Bigger SUV on the horizon
The current Mini hatch is still quite miniature compared to the Countryman SUV (which measures 4299mm), but the British brand is planning an even bigger crossover vehicle called the Traveller, Autocar also revealed. This is set to target markets like the US and China, where the current Countryman is considered too small.