Photo: MINI
As you're well aware, MINIs don't sell particularly well. That is the primary reason the 2025 model year Cooper will be produced in China rather than the United Kingdom. At least in the first instance, that is, because £600 million (roughly $750 million) will be invested by BMW and the British government for EV production at the British automaker's Oxford and Swindon facilities.
The plan is to start production of the all-electric Cooper three-door hatchback and yet-to-be-unveiled Aceman crossover in 2026. The 2025 model year Countryman is manufactured in Germany at BMW Group assembly plant Leipzig.
As for the Chinese plan in Zhangjiagang, said facility is operated by a company dubbed Spotlight Automotive. A joint venture between BMW Group and Great Wall Motor, this plant is capable of churning out 160,000 vehicles on a yearly basis.
Regarding the aforementioned crossover, the Aceman was developed from the ground up as an electric vehicle. Scheduled to premiere no later than April 2024, the newcomer is positioned between the electric Cooper and electric Countryman. Think of it as the indirect replacement for the Clubman.
To be offered in E and SE specifications, the Aceman promises anything between 181 and 215 horsepower, 300 and 400 kilometers (186 and 249 miles) of driving range from 40- and 54-kWh battery packs, and five doors. According to MINI, the Countryman's brother measures 4,075 millimeters (160.4 inches) in length as opposed to 4,266 millimeters (168.0 inches) for the Clubman.
Revealed on September 1 together with the Cooper, the Countryman will be offered in both electric and combustion-engined flavors. Both the Countryman and Cooper with internal combustion engines will bear the self-explanatory C suffix as opposed to the aforementioned E and SE for the electric variants.
Twinned with the X1 and iX1 on the UKL-derived FAAR platform, the Countryman is currently listed by MINI with a sticker price of 29,335 pounds sterling for the front-wheel-drive C. That's 36,760 dollars at current exchange rates. By comparison, the most affordable specification of the X1 for the UK market is £34,365 or something like $43,060.
The Cooper E, meanwhile, is available from £30,000 or $37,600. It offers a driving range of up to 190 miles (305 kilometers) in the WLTP, and zero to 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) takes 7.3 seconds. The punchier Cooper SE needs 6.7 seconds and offers up to 250 miles (402 kilometers) due to a higher-capacity battery pack.
How do said prices compare to the outgoing models? Pretty fine, actually! The MINI Electric is currently going for 32,550 pounds sterling or 40,810 dollars, while the Countryman Cooper Classic can be yours from £29,290 or $36,725.
BMW says MINI sold a grand total of 292,923 vehicles worldwide in 2022. Electric vehicles accounted for 15 percent, and the UK remains the marque's single most important market due to 46,757 deliveries in the 12-month period.
As for the Chinese plan in Zhangjiagang, said facility is operated by a company dubbed Spotlight Automotive. A joint venture between BMW Group and Great Wall Motor, this plant is capable of churning out 160,000 vehicles on a yearly basis.
Regarding the aforementioned crossover, the Aceman was developed from the ground up as an electric vehicle. Scheduled to premiere no later than April 2024, the newcomer is positioned between the electric Cooper and electric Countryman. Think of it as the indirect replacement for the Clubman.
To be offered in E and SE specifications, the Aceman promises anything between 181 and 215 horsepower, 300 and 400 kilometers (186 and 249 miles) of driving range from 40- and 54-kWh battery packs, and five doors. According to MINI, the Countryman's brother measures 4,075 millimeters (160.4 inches) in length as opposed to 4,266 millimeters (168.0 inches) for the Clubman.
Revealed on September 1 together with the Cooper, the Countryman will be offered in both electric and combustion-engined flavors. Both the Countryman and Cooper with internal combustion engines will bear the self-explanatory C suffix as opposed to the aforementioned E and SE for the electric variants.
Twinned with the X1 and iX1 on the UKL-derived FAAR platform, the Countryman is currently listed by MINI with a sticker price of 29,335 pounds sterling for the front-wheel-drive C. That's 36,760 dollars at current exchange rates. By comparison, the most affordable specification of the X1 for the UK market is £34,365 or something like $43,060.
The Cooper E, meanwhile, is available from £30,000 or $37,600. It offers a driving range of up to 190 miles (305 kilometers) in the WLTP, and zero to 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) takes 7.3 seconds. The punchier Cooper SE needs 6.7 seconds and offers up to 250 miles (402 kilometers) due to a higher-capacity battery pack.
How do said prices compare to the outgoing models? Pretty fine, actually! The MINI Electric is currently going for 32,550 pounds sterling or 40,810 dollars, while the Countryman Cooper Classic can be yours from £29,290 or $36,725.
BMW says MINI sold a grand total of 292,923 vehicles worldwide in 2022. Electric vehicles accounted for 15 percent, and the UK remains the marque's single most important market due to 46,757 deliveries in the 12-month period.
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