2024 Mini Countryman teased ahead of reveal

UPDATE: 2024 Mini Countryman to be produced in Germany

The third-generation 2024 Mini Countryman small SUV will be built in Germany.

It will become the first Mini vehicle manufactured in the country, with production set to commence at parent company BMW's factory in Leipzig later this year.

Set to be built alongside the BMW 1 Series, 2 Series Gran Coupe and 2 Series Active Tourer, the latest Countryman will ride on an updated version of the current UKL2 platform, with internal combustion or all-electric power.

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"This makes the location the first plant at which vehicles of the BMW and Mini brands are manufactured together, once again demonstrating maximum flexibility," said Mini.

First announced in 2021 (see below), the British-based marque has released teaser images of a camouflaged new-generation Countryman, revealing an evolutionary look and a larger body to take on the more-established Audi Q3, Mercedes-Benz GLA and Volvo XC40.

As with the latest BMW X1, it will sport identical flush-fitting door handles, while both vehicles are expected to be similar under the skin, with shared powertrains likely.

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This includes a range of three- and four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, two plug-in hybrids, and an all-electric variant.

The 2024 Mini Countryman small SUV will be joined by the smaller Aceman electric SUV and the next-generation Mini Hatch, with the iconic model adopting more electrified options.

Jordan Hickey

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November 8, 2021: Mini Countryman to be succeeded by electric model from 2023

The successor to the current Mini Countryman will be sold as an electric vehicle, though combustion engines will still be offered in the range.

Mini has confirmed the next-generation crossover is set to be powered by the choice of an electric motor or an internal combustion engine, although it's unclear as to whether the Countryman nameplate will be retained.

Targeting 50 per cent electric sales by 2027 and an all-electric model range by 2030, Mini is committing to ensuring more of its new vehicles are available as EVs.

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While the focus is on the Countryman's successor, Mini also said two new electric models are set to be developed from the ground up and produced in China. However, the EV Countryman will be built at the BMW Group plant in Leipzig, Germany, and all other Mini models will be produced at the UK plant in Oxford.

As is evident with the electric Countryman and the recently teased fourth-generation Mini Hatch, the manufacturer is looking transition from ICEs to EVs without totally dropping the former technology just yet, instead retaining its efficient petrol and diesel engines while the changes are being made.

Although it has its sights set on a move to a fully-electric line-up by 2030, the last new Mini to be powered by an ICE will launch in 2025 – with production to run for up to five years before fossil fuels are phased out.

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It will be a big change for the British marque and its in-house performance arm John Cooper Works, which is aiming to apply its knowledge in creating hot Minis for its future electric models – as has been previewed with the Pacesetter EV, which acts as the safety car for Formula E.

As with many other British and European manufacturers, Mini is committing to carbon neutrality by 2050 across all aspects of its business – a target which it aims to achieve by reducing the CO2 emissions of its new car fleet by 55 per cent from 2019 levels by 2030.