Autocar March 23, 2022

ALMOST EVERY new car launched is typically larger and heavier than its predecessor. Whatever the advances in lightweight materials, the extra equipment expected by buyers (who are getting bigger themselves) and more stringent crash regulations always wipe out gains elsewhere. The rise of the SUV and the electric car have only increased these trends. Larger, heavier cars are undesirable for myriad reasons, perhaps most significantly for the use of more raw materials to produce them and the detrimental effect of extra heft and increased frontal area on efficiency. Reversing these trends is a challenge the industry must address, as the conversation around the cleanliness and efficiency of vehicles moves beyond tailpipe emissions. No car has suffered more from this ‘bloat’ than the Mini, about as descriptive a name as you could get for…

“Electric models will be mechanically unrelated to ICE Minis but still look very similar” Mini has confirmed plans for a dramatically revamped range comprising separate petrol and electric versions of its three-door flagship, a small electric crossover and a larger Countryman SUV. Autocar joined Mini for a round of winter testing in a development prototype of the upcoming electric hatchback, where the company confirmed that over the next five years, its model range will undergo rationalisation and a big push towards electric powertrains. The core of the range, as before, will be the classic three-door hatchback, but buyers will have a choice of two electric powertrains. Unlike the current Mini Electric, which is based on a platform that wasn’t originally designed with electrification in mind, the new electric models will be mechanically unrelated to petrolengined…

You wonder what Sir Alec Issigonis would think to see his humble, no-frills city car evolve into one of the most globally important and recognisable cars on sale, not least now that the processes behind its conception, production and electrification span three countries in two continents. Encouragingly, though, if you peel back the cutesy retro design, set aside the fashion-focused marketing and forget that the Mini is just about as British as the Nissan Leaf or Toyota Corolla these days, you will see that it’s now closer to its roots than arguably it has been since being reborn in 2000, especially (and maybe counterintuitively) in electric form. The original Mini arrived in 1959 to provide mobility for the masses against a backdrop of soaring fuel prices (which will sound familiar), and the…

WHILE THE MINI hatchback will remain relatively similar in its next generation, there’s a more extensive shake-up planned at the larger end of the Mini range. Somewhat surprisingly, the five-door hatchback won’t get an electric version and the Clubman estate is unlikely to be directly replaced. For those after a more practical Mini EV, there will be a new electric-only compact crossover to sit beneath the Countryman. This smaller high-riding model is due to be revealed later this year and will also be built in China as part of the Spotlight joint venture between the BMW Group and Great Wall Motor. It is likely to take a much more radical design than the retro-inspired production Mini models seen to date. This smaller crossover will allow the Countryman to grow in order to better serve buyers…

MANUFACTURERS ARE often quite happy to let journalists look around or even drive late-stage prototypes as they ramp up the marketing machine ahead of a car’s launch. It is not often, however, that we get anywhere close to a prototype a full 18 months before the car is due on sale. Of course, the Mini electric hatchback prototype that we rode in was still wrapped in camouflage and the interior style was very much bin-bag chic, but it still gave us plenty of clues to the final production design and make-up. Design-wise, it’s clear that the images that leaked late last year of an uncamouflaged car are representative of what we will see in Europe. Just ignore the big rings around the headlights and the square tail-lights: they’re decoys. The wider track, slightly…

Maserati confirmed last week that it will launch six electric variants by 2025 – of the Grecale, Granturismo and Grancabrio next year, then the Levante, MC20 and Quattroporte. The company outlined its plan for electrification while announcing its 2021 results. Sales were up 41% globally year on year, with the Levante accounting 59% of sales and the Ghibli a third. Despite this, the BMW 5 Series-rivalling saloon hasn’t been factored into Maserati’s future plans, although no end date for its production has been confirmed yet.…