Skip advert
Advertisement

All-new Mini undergoes cold weather tests – bespoke EV set for 2023 launch

Mini’s plans have been laid out with an all-new electric 3dr Mini and bespoke compact crossover on their way

Big change is coming to the Mini range, and sooner than you may think, as the brand begins its transition to become fully EV-focused in 2023. This transformation will begin with an all-new electric Mini 3dr in 2023, designed from the ground-up as the centre of the new range. A few months since its announcement, BMW has released images of the model undergoing cold weather tests in Sweden ahead of its reveal next year.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Its final design is still under wraps, but the images we've seen so far reveal a familiar collection of retro-inspired design elements like the round headlights, floating roof and frameless glass, confirming a few of the seismic changes to come.

> The Mini Remastered Oselli Edition is a £100,000 restomod

First is the new Mini’s proportions, which look to be smaller than those of the current model. The front overhang, while not as compact as the original 2001 R50, is much shorter than the goofy-looking Mini of today. The same is true of the rear overhang, giving the all-new model a set of wheel-at-each-corner proportions that are much more in keeping with the original car. 

Look past the oversized headlights and you’ll also spot a totally new front-end panel layout, with the iconic clamshell having been replaced by a more traditional bonnet. Whether this space will offer added storage or package some of the powertrain components remains to be seen, but it will shift the fake bonnet scoop (which has been fake since the 2008 R56-generation Cooper S, mind) further up the bonnet. 

The windscreen has also now been given more rake than previous models – a decision made to help motorway-speed aerodynamics – and BMW’s new flush handles that replace the iconic chrome grabs. We don’t know much about the interior’s evolution, but expect a slick integration of new digital interfaces within the retro Mini forms that have been established over the past 20 years. 

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Advertisement - Article continues below

And there’s more good news, as Mini is also developing John Cooper Works derivatives, which should combine more powerful electric motors with a sharper chassis setup. It’s this model we hope will most closely recreate the classic Mini’s agile handling characteristics. 

Joining the Mini 3dr will be another all-new all-electric model, this time a compact premium crossover thought to be around the size of an Audi Q2. It will essentially replace the current 5-door Mini and sit underneath the larger Countryman. Both of these new EV models will also be built in Mini’s Oxford plant, maintaining consistent UK production.

A new Countryman will arrive in 2023, sharing its underpinnings with BMW’s new X1 compact SUV that’s coming next year and being built in BMW’s Leipzig manufacturing facility. The current combustion 3dr and 5dr Minis will also soldier on for the foreseeable future with their combustion powertrains. Mini has confirmed its final combustion-powered model will launch in 2025.

So while it might not appear at first glance to be a case of good news for Mini, the notion of a bespoke electric model makes far more sense in light of legislation that’s coming down the line. It’s fair to say we’ve given the current Mini range a certain amount of criticism over the last few years, with the core Mini Cooper hatch leaving us underwhelmed when it left behind its bespoke underpinnings in favour of a collection of inherited components shared with the BMW 1-series. It was this homogenisation within the BMW Group that led the bloated current generation car so a new electric platform coming to write some of those wrongs should be a good thing. 

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Kia EV6 GT 2025 review – Hyundai Ioniq 5 N parts make for a genuinely fun EV
Kia EV6 GT
Reviews

Kia EV6 GT 2025 review – Hyundai Ioniq 5 N parts make for a genuinely fun EV

Kia’s EV6 GT has gained some Ioniq 5 N-esque toys and the results are compelling
19 Jun 2025
Skoda Elroq vRS 2025 review – a sheep in sheep’s clothing
Skoda Elroq vRS – front
Reviews

Skoda Elroq vRS 2025 review – a sheep in sheep’s clothing

The swiftest-accelerating Skoda yet is an excellent electric family car but lacks excitement to back up its vRS badge
16 Jun 2025
The Alpine A390 is France’s answer to the Porsche Macan
Alpine A390
News

The Alpine A390 is France’s answer to the Porsche Macan

A battery-powered Porsche Macan rival with an emphasis on driving dynamics is the second model in Alpine’s EV offensive, and its made its debut at Le …
13 Jun 2025
Mini Aceman JCW 2025 review – jacked-up 254bhp hot hatch aims at Abarth’s 600e
Mini Aceman JCW – front
In-depth reviews

Mini Aceman JCW 2025 review – jacked-up 254bhp hot hatch aims at Abarth’s 600e

Mini has given its Aceman crossover the JCW treatment, with a specially-tuned chassis and a 254bhp motor up front. It's fun at times, but fundamentall…
11 Jun 2025
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Honda Civic Type R for £5k off – save 10 per cent on the ultimate hot hatch
Honda Civic Type R deal
News

Honda Civic Type R for £5k off – save 10 per cent on the ultimate hot hatch

The Civic Type R is not long for this world and there are deals to be had on Honda’s pricey but near-perfect hot hatch
26 Jun 2025
Frontline MGA Factory Edition review – a quaint classic with a modern heart
Frontline MGA Factory Edition
Reviews

Frontline MGA Factory Edition review – a quaint classic with a modern heart

The MGB restomod specialist turns its attention to the B’s pretty predecessor. The result is compelling
26 Jun 2025
Can Lotus survive its latest crisis?
Lotus factory
Opinion

Can Lotus survive its latest crisis?

Lotus’s latest troubles are grabbing headlines, but the writing’s been on the wall for some time.
28 Jun 2025