New Mini SUV Concept Teased, Will Debut Next-Gen Design Language
What's happening
Mini released the first teaser of its new SUV concept.
Why it matters
It previews the fully electric next-gen Countryman and will debut the brand's new design language.
What's next
The concept will debut in July.
Mini is getting ready to enter its fully electric era, with an upcoming concept SUV set to debut the brand's new design language that will feature on all its next-gen models. It also is a direct preview of the third-generation Countryman crossover. Only a single teaser has been released, showing the concept's front quarter panel and the silhouette of its greenhouse, but Mini provided a lot of details on what to expect.
In the teaser photo we can see a squared-off wheel arch with black cladding, a prominent LED headlight on the front fender and large wheels, and the shadow shows the tall greenhouse, roof rack and oval side mirrors. Mini says its new design language, called Charismatic Simplicity, will be focused on reduced complexity and clean lines, and each new model will have a distinct character. With every new Mini to feature a fully electric powertrain, this also gave Mini's designers an opportunity to rethink each design for better efficiency and space.
New Minis will have rethought interiors too. The brand is completely doing away with leather in favor of more sustainable materials, and chrome will be almost entirely ditched too. Nearly all functions will be condensed into a new circular OLED display in the center of the dash, making Mini the first brand to offer a usable round touchscreen. But don't worry -- upcoming Mini models will still have analog toggle switches.
The new concept will debut at the end of July. The first production model to wear Mini's design language will be the fourth-gen Cooper Hardtop, which will be fully electric and smaller than the current model. Expect the next-gen Countryman to debut at some point in 2023.
