2023 Mini Countryman to be joined by smaller electric SUV

The next-generation 2023 Mini Countryman looks set to grow in size, with a smaller all-electric crossover also reportedly in development.

At the larger end of the Mini range, the high-riding duo is expected to debut before the end of 2022, joining the next-generation Cooper hatchback.

According to UK publication Autocar, the smaller electric-only SUV will sit beneath the larger, third-generation Countryman designed to better appeal to the North American market.

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It will be produced in China as part of the joint venture between the BMW Group and Great Wall Motor, alongside the electric Cooper SE.

As reported by Wheels in November, the forthcoming Countryman will shift production to Leipzig, Germany from its current assembly line in the Netherlands, with the brand’s UK plant in Oxford continuing to focus on the hatchback and convertible.

In addition, an electric version of the five-door Hatch will reportedly not be produced, with the Clubman estate also potentially facing the axe.

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2023 Mini Hatch teaser

While most Mini variants focus on retro-inspired styling, the next-generation Countryman is expected to adopt a more streamlined design to better cater to the US-market and family buyers, who are more inclined towards larger vehicles.

An electric version of the Countryman will be offered alongside petrol and diesel models, although the existing plug-in hybrid variant will be axed in favour of full electrification.

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2023 Mini Hatch teaser

By comparison, the as-yet-unnamed smaller electric SUV is likely to pick up a more radical design than existing retro-focused Mini models.

With a target for 50 per cent of sales to be electric by 2027, ahead of an EV-only deadline in the early-2030s, Mini is planning for a wider range of electrified vehicles – although it isn’t planning to drop the internal-combustion engine (ICE) just yet.

The fourth-generation Hatch will continue to offer efficient petrol and diesel engines, alongside a full-electric SE variant, with the final new ICE model to debut in 2025.