Photo: S.Baldauf/SB-Medien
No longer a mini crossover because of its much-increased size, the second generation of the MINI Countryman has been off to a pretty good start since it was launched back 2017, so BMW is trying to keep the flame alive by working on an LCI (Life Cycle Impulse) refresh that should be unveiled later this year.
Pre-production prototypes of the model have been spotted testing as early as last year and judging by the small amount of camouflage present on the cars there won't be too many visual upgrades.
Most recently, a weathered prototype was spotted near the Arctic Circle, looking like it's about to grow an icicle mustache. The car is probably a Cooper or even a Countryman One since it misses the dual-tip exhaust of its more powerful siblings.
Overall, the front end is likely to get a new bumper, while some areas of the engine grille and the headlights should be more rounded on the LCI model. At the rear, a new bumper and the well-received Union Jack LED taillights from its smaller MINI brothers should make an appearance as well.
There aren't any interior spy photos as of yet but the small crossover is expected to get a slightly larger screen on the center console and BMW's iDrive 7 infotainment system. A driver's display honed for MINI should be optional on lesser versions and standard models that come with the full iDrive 7 system.
The usual inline-three and four-cylinder engine suspects are to be found on the engine side, with some of them possibly getting a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. The plug-in hybrid Cooper SE all-four will soldier on with a battery that has different cell chemistry so it should store slightly more energy for the same volume. Don't expect too much of an increase in the all-electric range, though.
The LCI models are expected to go official by the end of 2020, most likely at or around the Paris Motor Show in the fall.
Most recently, a weathered prototype was spotted near the Arctic Circle, looking like it's about to grow an icicle mustache. The car is probably a Cooper or even a Countryman One since it misses the dual-tip exhaust of its more powerful siblings.
Overall, the front end is likely to get a new bumper, while some areas of the engine grille and the headlights should be more rounded on the LCI model. At the rear, a new bumper and the well-received Union Jack LED taillights from its smaller MINI brothers should make an appearance as well.
There aren't any interior spy photos as of yet but the small crossover is expected to get a slightly larger screen on the center console and BMW's iDrive 7 infotainment system. A driver's display honed for MINI should be optional on lesser versions and standard models that come with the full iDrive 7 system.
The usual inline-three and four-cylinder engine suspects are to be found on the engine side, with some of them possibly getting a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. The plug-in hybrid Cooper SE all-four will soldier on with a battery that has different cell chemistry so it should store slightly more energy for the same volume. Don't expect too much of an increase in the all-electric range, though.
The LCI models are expected to go official by the end of 2020, most likely at or around the Paris Motor Show in the fall.
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