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Mini is preparing the fourth generation of its modern lineup, and the first member to arrive will be a redesigned Hardtop.
We’ve previously brought you details on an electric version of the redesigned Hardtop, and now we have fresh spy shots of the version powered by an internal-combustion engine. Both are due in 2023 as 2024 models.
This time around, the electric Hardtop will be based on a dedicated electric vehicle platform developed by BMW Group and Great Wall Motors in a Chinese joint venture known as Spotlight. Production of the electric Hardtop will also be handled in China, and word on the street is that there will be at least two versions, one of which could be a high-performance John Cooper Works.
2024 Mini Hardtop EV prototype
The ICE-powered Hardtop will be more of a heavy update of the outgoing Hardtop than a true redesign, and this is reflected in the spy shots which show a similar design to the outgoing model. This makes sense as Mini plans to go fully electric later this decade, and has even locked in 2025 as the date that its final ICE-powered model will be launched.
While the exterior design won’t change much, we expect the interior to adopt a new design that will be shared with the electric Hardtop. Mini has previously hinted at a digital dash, where a single panel houses screens for both the instrument cluster and infotainment hub.
Underpinning the ICE-powered Hardtop will be BMW Group’s FAAR platform for front-wheel-drive cars. It’s an evolution of the UKL platform underpinning the current Mini range, which means plug-in hybrid power will be possible.
2024 Mini Hardtop spy shots – Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
Production of the ICE-powered Hardtop will be handled at BMW Group’s plant in Oxford, U.K., where the current model is built. A four-door Hardtop is possible once more, though Mini hasn’t confirmed plans for one yet. A related Convertible is also a sure bet.
The next couple of years will be busy for Mini as the brand renews its lineup and adds new model lines. A redesigned Countryman is due in 2023, offering both ICE and electric options. We also know of two more crossovers joining the lineup. One will be an EV slightly smaller than the Countryman. It’s due in 2023 and was previewed earlier this year by the Aceman concept. Another is expected to be bigger than the Countryman and offer ICE and electric options, though Mini has been quiet on plans for this model.
Sadly, it no longer seems that Mini plans to launch a model smaller than the Hardtop.
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