The next-generation Mini Countryman plug-in hybrid, due next year, will be the BMW brand’s most powerful production model to date.
The Countryman will share its FAAR-powered architecture with the all-new BMW 2 Series Active Tourer and will be produced alongside that model and the upcoming X1 crossover in Leipzig, Germany. It’s set up to use the same range of petrol and plug-in hybrid powertrains, the most powerful of which will be a four-wheel-drive PHEV setup with a combined output that shades even that of the current Mini JCW GP hot sedan. .
The powertrain will combine a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with a 174hp electric motor for a combined output of 322hp, which will make the model significantly faster than the current 217hp Countryman Cooper SE All4. A 14.2kWh (usable) battery will provide it with around 55 miles of EV range, an increase of almost 100%. It can be fully charged in 2.5 hours from a 7.4 kWh charger.
It’s not yet confirmed whether the most powerful Countryman will wear the JCW badge traditionally reserved for Mini’s performance models, but the brand has already confirmed plans to wear the nameplate on its electrified product line.
A less powerful PHEV option with a combined output of 241hp will also be available, as will 168hp 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engines and 215hp 2.0-litre four-cylinder, both featuring 48V mild-hybrid technology, and a 2.0-litre diesel.
The Countryman will also follow its BMW X1 sibling in getting a purely electric powertrain option. Few details are currently available but, like the combustion engine car, it is expected to come with standard front-wheel drive.
We got our first look at the top of the range at the end of last year. A camouflaged test mule revealed itself with a beefy four-outlet exhaust, sporty alloys and a prominent rear spoiler.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-03-04 00:01:23
