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MINI's "Riley" Sedan - What We Know So Far

MINI has expansion plans, and one of them includes turning the line-up in a five model range.
MINI Sedan design rendering 1 photo
Photo: Rendering by Gabriel Brindusescu
Considering the current models in the MINI lineup add up to four products that are available in multiple versions, the fifth car is expected by many to be a sedan.

The said model was named Riley by some, as a traditional three-box Mini used to be called back in the 1960s. Back then, it was a sedan derivative of the Mini, and its full name was the Riley Elf.

So far, no spyshots have revealed a potential sedan from MINI, but no other future prototypes have been seen while testing except for the Countryman. Since the latter just received a new generation, which has become bigger than its predecessor, it is expected that MINI is working on a fifth model.

We already know that the concept of the MINI Rocketman will not get a production version because of the costs involved in developing a car that small, while the Superleggera concept shares its fate. In the case of the former, the resulting car might have become too expensive for potential customers, and slow sales would have turned it into a flop.

MINI has already gone through eccentric models that look attractive and seem to appeal to their target audience but fail to reach sales expectations. The best example in this situation comes in the form of two models, the Roadster and the Coupe, which suffered this fate when their production intervals ended.

The new line of cars from MINI, in the shape of those built on the UKL platform developed by the BMW Group, has the advantage of lower development costs when technical features are concerned.

While BMW’s 1-Series Sedan will not reach European dealerships any time soon, MINI’s potential sedan might become the German corporation’s answer to the Mercedes-Benz CLA and the Audi A3 Sedan.

Instead of using the BMW nameplate, the German company could try to get new customers for the MINI brand with the first sedan sold in the modern age of the automaker.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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