This next-generation Countryman will be all-electric and ready to razzle-dazzle.
What happens when one hankers after a Mini but needs more interior space? Well, one buys a Maxi Countryman! 😳
With five doors, the Countryman has successfully served as Mini’s largest vehicle on sale and is great if one needs to carry around four passengers or drop the rear seatbacks for more cargo capacity. The Countryman, the do-almost-anything Mini, is now about to go all-electric in its next generation.
Being electric, it will be easier and more straightforward to implement the optional all-wheel drive for those who need it in snowy climates and for soft-roading. When it goes into production in Leipzig, Germany in November 2023, there will initially be two variants. The Countryman E will feature 191hp and front-wheel drive, while the Countryman SE ALL4 will be all-wheel drive and put down 313hp to the road courtesy of an electric motor on each axle. Battery capacity is said to be 64.7kWh, meaning an estimated range of around 450km.
This new electric Countryman will also grow in dimensions. With its length gaining 13cm and height of almost 6cm, the interior space should be larger for more passenger comfort and cargo carrying capacity.
To keep with the environmentally-conscious theme of being all-electric, this new Countryman will eschew all decorative elements inside and out, meaning fewer materials are needed in its construction. Its cast-alloy rims will be made from up to 70 per cent recycled aluminium, and the surfaces of the dashboard, steering wheel, headliner, carpet and floor mats will be made from recycled PET bottles and carpet remnants.
Even the production plant at Leipzig is not spared the ‘green’ treatment, with four wind turbines generating up to 20GWh of electricity from wind energy annually. Up to 700 high-voltage batteries reclaimed from BMW i3 vehicles are used to store said generated electricity. This goes toward a more holistic approach to building sustainable vehicles.
That’s all well and good, but what does the new Countryman look like? We can’t wait for the camo wrap to come off later this year.
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