Exclusive: MINI to Transform Model Line-up in 2024

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Over the last week we’ve brought you an exclusive look at how MINI intends to completely transform its line-up. While the brand’s products continues to sell well, there’s little debating they’re long overdue for not just a refresh but a rethink. That will happen across three different product categories starting late this year and into next and it will be nothing short of a revolution for the brand.

The U25 2024 MINI Countryman

Larger in every dimension and with loads more technology onboard, the new model will move MINI into direct competition with the ultra competitive small crossover segment. It will be the most diverse of all MINI products in terms of models and propulsion. Offered as both a pure ICE and pure electric, the Countryman will likely continue to be the brand’s volume seller globally.

MINI will debut the 2024 MINI Countryman in the second half of 2023 with an all-out model onslaught. Based on our sources, this is what we expect to see in terms of production timing.

U25 MINI Countryman / Leipzig, Germany	Start of Production
U25 ICE Countryman	11/2023
U25 ICE Countryman S	03/2024
U25 ICE Countryman JCW	11/2023
U25 EV Countryman	TBD
U25 EV Countryman S	03/2024
U25 EV Countryman JCW*	TBD

* Unconfirmed by our sources

Both Petrol and Electric Power Will Be Offered

Given the investment in electrification, MINI will revising its engine range and not replacing it. So things will look familiar but numbers will rise slightly. Based on what we know about the evolved three and four liter family of engines from BMW, we should see something close to the following:

• The 1.5 three cylinder which will be rated at 137 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque
• 2.0 four cylinder with varying tunes; 170 hp and 206 ft-lbs and 218 hp and 265 ft-lbs. 
• JCW branded 2.0 four cylinder with 330 hp
• All petrol engines will get a 48 volt mild hybrid system and will be mated to a revised 7-speed dual clutch with an all new gear selector design. 
• The manual transmission will be eliminated in all models.

The FAAR platform was designed from the ground up to accommodate a battery pack and electric motor as part of the brand’s plans to transition all products over the next decade. Again the BMW X1 (in this case the iX1) gives us a clue. Assuming MINI will be leveraging the same technical layout (which we’ve heard is the plan), we should expect the electric Countryman to have a peak output is 308 horsepower and 364 pound-feet of torque. Potentially branded as a JCW, the power comes from a modest 64.7-kWh t-shaped battery pack that produces 266 miles of range using the WLTP testing protocol. That would likely translate into something around 240 miles using the EPA testing. The iX1 supports DC fast-charging at up to 130 kW, which can charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in only 29 minutes. 

For more information on the 2024 U25 MINI Countryman, head over to our U25 Countryman section.

The J01 2024 MINI Cooper (Electric)

The all new J01 2024 electric MINI Cooper is a watershed moment of the brand. It will be MINI’s first electric vehicle on a dedicated electric platform and will represent the first total rethink since the 2001 R50. Unlike the current MINI Cooper SE which was built on an existing ICE chassis, this new electric MINI will be designed from the ground up to be an electric car which will allow for improved performance, range and more MINI-like proportions. However until now we didn’t know MINI’s timing for its launch. Thanks to some of our trusted sources, we can now bring you a full view of not just the car, but when it will go into production. 

J01 Electric MINI Cooper / China	Start of Production
J01 Electric Cooper 3 Door	11/2023
J01 Electric Cooper S 3 Door	11/2023
J01 Electric Cooper JCW 3 Door	TBD

* Unconfirmed by our sources

While we believe the J01 will eventually see production in the UK (around 2027), at launch it will exclusively be built in China for global export. The beginning of production is scheduled for November 2023 for both the Cooper E and faster Cooper SE variants. That should see a European market launch of early 2024. While there’s still a lot of question around the J01 coming to the US at launch (we’ll talk more about that in a minute), the earliest we’d see it in North American would be spring of 2024.

The 2024 Electric MINI Cooper (J01) Range & Performance

According to sources, the entry level electric MINI Cooper will launch with a 40kWh battery (compared to 28.9kWh in the current Cooper SE) combined with an electric engine producing around 180 hp. That should give the car a range between 180 and 200 miles depending on how it’s measured. That would be a dramatic increase over the current 110 range from the F56 based Cooper SE. And that’s the initial release so there’s surely more to come.

Head over to MotoringFile’s J01 MINI Cooper section for all the details on this completely new MINI.

The F66 2024 MINI Cooper (ICE)

MINI isn’t letting go of internal combustion engines (ICE) yet. In an unprecedented move there will be two next generation MINI Coopers (hatches) built on opposite ends of the planet on two different platforms. This move will allow MINI to offer innovative electric offerings while still selling to the traditional ICE market for as long as possible. But key to this will be upgrading the F56 to a more modern spec in terms of tech.

F66 MINI Cooper (ICE) / Oxford, England	Start of Production
F66 ICE Cooper 3 door	03/2024
F66 ICE Cooper S 3 door	03/2024
F66 ICE Cooper JCW 3 door	TBD
F65 ICE Cooper 5 door	TBD
F65 ICE Cooper S 5 door	TBD
F67 ICE Cooper Convertible	03/2025*
F67 ICE Cooper S Convertible	03/2025*
F67 ICE JCW Convertible	TBD

* Unconfirmed by our sources

As you can tell by its codename, the F66 is an evolution of the F56 which is shared a chassis with. However MINI is refreshing the exterior design to better match the all new J01 electric MINI Cooper. That means we’ll see revised lights front and rear and even a slightly shortened front overhang. The key theme appears to be creating design consistency with the future of the brand – the all electric J01 MINI Cooper. The goal is clearly to unify the design language across all models allowing consumers to have a choice that feels strictly about the propulsion system and nothing else.

But what we didn’t know was MINI’s aggressive launch plans. As you can see above MINI will start production of the heavily revised F66 in March of 2024. Deliveries should start in April (for the UK and EU) and May for the US market.

For all of our reporting on the next generation F66 ICE MINI Cooper, check out the F66 section of MotoringFile

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