Magna to Build MINI Paceman

MINI Paceman, the concept presented by the British brand at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, will go into production at the end of 2012 and will be produced by Magna-Steyr. At least this is what newspaper Kleine Zeitung reported today citing BMW development chief Klaus Draeger, while also adding that sales are very likely to begin in the first months of 2013.

The decision to build the Paceman in Graz, Austria pretty much makes sense, as Magna is already manufacturing the MINI Countryman. The Paceman is developed on the same platform as the Countryman, so Magna would have to do only small modifications to its production lines.

"Yes, we will have the Paceman built in Graz too," Draeger told the paper. "As the auto is technically based on the Countryman it makes sense to go to Graz for this as well."

The concept showed in Detroit was powered by a John Cooper Works 1.6 liter twin-scroll turbocharged four-cylinder unit that delivers 211 hp and a maximum torque of 280 Nm (207 lb-ft), which also comes with an Overboost function. Of course, some modifications could be made to the production-ready model, but the overall output is likely to stay in the same region.

Additionally, the prototype was featuring MINI’s ALL4 permanent all-wheel-drive system, which uses an electromagnetic center differential, mounted on the final drive, as well as 19-inch rims, dark wheel arch surrounds and matching side skirts.

As expected, the same original MINI features are still there, such as the slim center console and the rail system mounted on the center of the cabin for storage compartments.