The next-generation Mini Countryman has been in development for over a year. Details about it remain a mystery, but a new batch of spy shots show the hatchback still covered in camouflage doing some winter testing.
The five-door Mini is still hiding its finer design details under a yellow wrap and cladding, concealing its actual shape. However, we don’t expect the Countryman to stray far from the brand’s current design ethos. The photos depict the car with production lighting units installed and fully ablaze.
Gallery: Next-Gen Mini Countryman Spy Photos
Spy shots from February 2022 captured the interior, showing a small, oval digital instrument cluster screen behind the steering wheel. Mini hid the large, circular center screen for the infotainment functions on the dash underneath an ugly cover.
Powertrain details remain a mystery. A glance at this Mini rear’s bumper reveals no exhaust cutouts, unlike the previously spied test vehicles. This isn’t the all-electric Aceman as the car is missing “Electric Vehicle” stickers often seen on cars with batteries, and we have already spotted the EV out testing. It looks pretty different.
The new Countryman could arrive with various engine choices, similar to the current car. However, the new model will ride on the FAAR platform that underpins the new BMW X1, and the two should share some powertrains.
Mini offers the second-generation hatch in the US with a turbo 1.5-liter three-cylinder, but the optional turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder can deliver as much as 301 hp (221 KW) in the John Cooper Works variant. The turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the new X1 M35i makes 302 hp (222 kW).
The current Countryman is also available as a plug-in hybrid, and that powertrain is expected to return for the third-generation model. A report from March said that the new PHEV could offer as much as 322 hp (237 kW) with all-wheel drive and up to 55 miles (88 kilometers) of pure electric driving range.
The new Mini should go on sale in 2023 for the US market for the 2024 model year. Mini hasn’t indicated when we’ll see the new Countryman debut, but it feels like it should happen soon.
