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• Mini shows a camouflaged version of its next Countryman.
• The new generation will be offered in an all-electric configuration.
• Mini hopes to have completed its electric transition and offer only electric vehicles by 2030.
The next generation of Mini's largest vehicle is in the works. In anticipation of its arrival on the market, the BMW-owned British automaker has shared some images of a highly camouflaged version of the 2025 Countryman.
This is of course a friendly reminder that the model exists as much as anything else. Still, there are a few interesting things to note.
An all-electric Countryman
First, it's been confirmed that an all-electric variant will be available. Also, production of the new model starts this year at BMW's plant in Leipzig, Germany. This will be the first time a Mini vehicle is built in the country. The plant also assembles other BMW models, including the 2 Series Gran Coupe.
The electric version will take its organs from the BMW iX1, the electric version of the X1 SUV. Since that EV is not offered in North America, it does raise the question of whether the electric Countryman itself will be sold here.
Note that the iX1 comes in a dual-motor configuration, with a total output of 308 hp. It carries a 64.7-kWh battery, which translates into a range of 439 km on the European WLTP cycle.
The gasoline engine to be used for the next Countryman could well be the 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder that powers the BMW X1; that block delivers 241 hp and 295 lb-ft. We can expect different configurations for the versions normally offered by Mini (Base, S and John Cooper Works).
As mentioned, we don't know for the moment whether both gas-fed and all-electric versions will be offered in Canada. We can guess that yes, if only because the brand has committed to being fully electric by 2030. If it’s going to keep that commitment, it has to start somewhere.
No word, either, on the plug-in hybrid option currently available for the Countryman. If we get the electric model, it might not have a place in the lineup anymore.
The production version of the 2025 Countryman should be unveiled in the next few weeks or months. The model is expected to debut later this year on the European market. It should launch here later, in 2024, possibly as a 2025 vintage.
Of course, we'll have more details when Mini officially presents the version for our roads.
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