Mini Moke and multi-seater model under development

Mini’s freshly revealed all-new electric generation is bringing a world of possibilities to the English brand, with a whole host of new models under consideration to join the Cooper hatch and Countryman.

With a pure-electric architecture underpinning the new Cooper three-door hatch and a platform borrowed from the BMW iX1 for the new Countryman, Mini’s new sandbox will spawn numerous parallel model lines in the coming years and perhaps even a sub-brand.

The company is not at point to confirm which vehicles will join the pioneering pair, but has revealed that it has multiple directions to pursue including retro revivals, previously unexplored segments and even larger Mini models.

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Speaking at the reveal of the new Mini family in Munich, Mini brand head Stefanie Wurst confirmed the Aceman would form a third member of the family but the new models would not stop there.

“If you look into different body types we have a classic three-door and five-door and convertible, we have the large Countryman and smaller SAV five-door electric Aceman,” she said. “I think there are more body types available.

“Mini is a very strong brand and a lot of new concepts maybe under a new umbrella are possible.”

One such possibility is a return of the Moke and when asked if the iconic bantamweight adventure Mini might be resurrected, Wurst said the name had been very recently discussed inside Mini walls.

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Mini Aceman EV concept

“I think it’s a great idea. It fits the Mini brand very well and it’s also possible if you think of an addition or variation of a Countryman, that would be a great concept.

“I’m not sure if we own the name but we were researching it a couple of weeks ago. If we wanted to re-own it we probably could.”

With the discontinuation of the Clubman, Wurst explained that the company would have only one large model in its ranks and finding derivatives that could take the new Countryman as their basis was a high priority.

“Currently we have a Clubman and a Countryman but in the future we will only have the Countryman. The goal is to work with the Countryman as much as we can. We have two big Minis but in the future we will only have one so we have to make use of this car as much as we can.”

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2024 Mini Countryman

Also on the cards is a larger Mini model that could introduce the company’s first model for more than five occupants.

Most likely will be a production version of Mini’s 2021 concept which showcased a model similar in philosophy to Volkswagen’s ID Buzz.

When asked if the Mini brand could support a model that would compete with Mercedes’ small MPV/SUV models EQB and GLB, Wurst responded “That style, no, but we had a concept called Urbanaut.”

This van-like concept, said Wurst, could become the biggest Mini yet with space for more than five occupants or a load of equipment for those looking to have a mini home away from home.

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Mini Urbanaut concept

“It was a great concept for Mini,” she said. “Urbanaut is definitely an interesting concept.

“Urbanaut wasn’t very specific on seat capacity but it had a lounge area so instead of doing that you could also imagine a bigger seating capacity.”

Mini head of design Oliver Heilmer boosted the prospects of a production version of the Urbanaut even further.

“We constantly look into different markets and customer groups to get a sense of what could be the next proper character in the Mini family,” he said.

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“The Urbanaut wouldn’t be an MPV it would be more about how you use the space. It was designed to use the space while it was standing still.

Intriguingly though, the company might be mulling a new sub-brand to accommodate larger Minis and avoid cluttering the more compact model lines with bigger vehicles that might confuse brand messaging.

When asked if a Mini model could grow too big to be a Mini, Wurst said it was something the company was careful to avoid, and a strategy on how to grow the brand into larger territory without alienating customers was under discussion.

“I personally think we’ve reached a good size, yet I think when we launch a larger Mini or an extended Countryman, I don’t know if this is still a Mini.

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“I would rather go on a new innovative concept that is more unexpected and surprising because Mini is about doing things a different way. Instead of going a larger wheelbase, I would much rather go for a different concept.”

The company has almost limitless past heritage models to chose from including sedans such as the the Austin Maxi and Morris 1100, or even the off-road focused concept Twinny to name just a handful of more likely candidates.

Either way, Wurst confirmed that no new car would be given the free light unless it could be unique and unlike anything existing.

“I think that’s possible (small sedan) but it would have to be something that looks very Mini despite its longer shape.

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“As we are getting closer to a BMW concept here, my answer would be the same as for the multi-seater - we would rather have our own unique concept rather than something BMW already has.

“I’m not excluding it, but if we launched it, it would have to have something specifically Mini that a BMW or other small sedan doesn’t have.”

Finally, a return of the Mini convertible is another, perhaps less surprising model we can expect to arrive in the coming years.

Wurst explained that, while Australia missed out on the exclusive electric version available alongside the Mini Cooper SE hatch in Europe, Australia wouldn’t forgo a second generation of the zero-emissions soft top.

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“I really tried to cover Australia with the electric convertible but it wasn’t possible with only 999 (worldwide) but I think there’s a lot of possibilities on the way with the body types we have now. This one would be a great addition.”

Whatever the fun-focused brand has planned to introduce alongside the refreshed line-up, it won’t happen until its trio have settled into their various global markets

“We can’t even imagine what other concepts might be in-house that we could also launch because Mini is about very smart and fun urban mobility. We’re always open for new concepts but we have a lot to do with the transition.

“We have to slice the elephant. We cannot do everything at the same time because we’re on a very busy road”.