MINI Countryman to See Multiple Refreshes, Starting With 2026 EV Update

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MINI isn’t waiting long to update its largest crossover. According to sources, the brand is already preparing the first of several planned refreshes for the U25 Countryman, beginning with EV-focused revisions arriving early next year.

Like the BMW iX1 and iX2, the Countryman EV will see upgrades implemented on vehicles beginning with March 2026 production. What remains unclear is whether these revisions will include new battery tech, updated motors, or other drivetrain enhancements. But sources are telling us to expect slightly more range and other enhancements involving charging.

This move is a deviation from the standard lifecycle impulse (BMW speak for mid-cycle refresh) that we’re used to for MINI. Instead, it would see the brand moving to a more ongoing series of improvements meant to keep its products more continuously updated.

Expected Range Improvements

Based on recent updates to BMW’s iX and i4, we can make some educated guesses about what MINI’s March 2026 refresh might deliver. The i4’s improvements brought a 5–6 percent boost in range, while the iX facelift delivered closer to 10 percent depending on the model. If MINI follows a similar path, the refreshed Countryman EV could see anywhere from a 5 to 8 percent increase in usable range, with the possibility of even more if MINI slips in upgraded cells or efficiency tweaks.

the Technology Refresh MINI Won’t Get – Yet

BMW’s refresh roadmap for the Countryman’s twin, the X1 and X2, shows two phases: an initial update in March 2026 and a more comprehensive Life Cycle Impulse (LCI) in July 2027, which includes the Panoramic Vision head-up display. Interestingly, MINI is not following that playbook exactly. Rather than bringing Panoramic Vision to the U25, the brand has chosen to invest in other areas of its LCI.

The Full Countryman LCI

We expect the Countryman’s full LCI to arrive either in November 2027 or March 2028 based on sources. And given that MINI hasn’t chosen not to invest in BMW’s Panoramic Vision display technology, we expect a more thorough LCI that we’ve seen in the Cooper of Countryman recently. Interior upgrades, exterior design tweaks, or even bigger drivetrain improvements could all be on the table as MINI positions the U25 to hold strong until its successors arrive.

And yes, there will be multiple successors because, as we reported last week, MINI intends to split the EV and combustion versions of the Countryman into two separate products like the J01 and F66 Cooper.

Our Take

The headline here isn’t just about March 2026. It’s that MINI is clearly planning multiple updates across the U25’s lifecycle, ensuring the Countryman stays relevant in a rapidly shifting market. The 2026 refresh will likely bring incremental gains in performance and efficiency, while the later 2028 LCI could be more transformative. Perhaps addressing customer concerns about the fabric dash, a lack of personalization in colors and materials and even elements of exterior design.

We’ll have more on all of these updates as we get them.

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