Mini shares details of the Cooper and Countryman design
With the official debut of both Cooper and Countryman electric versions of Mini approaching fast, the company has been ramping up its marketing machine. We’ve already had the official photos - albeit the cars were still wearing camouflage - we’ve seen a lot of information and now we have more details of the new design language.
Both cars will debut around the same time and both are going into production by the end of September, and both are ushering in the new Charismatic Simplicity design language that Mini first showcased with its Aceman Concept last year. Today we get a glimpse of the features that made their way from the concept vehicle into the production models.
The most obvious and one instantly jumps into focus is the new round display. It replaces the instrument cluster completely and just as the old version central screen keeps the round form. That’s where the similarities end, this is a full OLED display that resembles a futuristic tablet. Measuring 24 cm across (9.45 inches) this touch-controlled and frameless display combines infotainment, instrument cluster, and on-board monitoring.
The steering wheel is fabulously retro and yet futuristic, it’s a two-spoke design with the airbag now visually separated from the wheel. What appears to be a third spoke is actually a fabric strap. New sustainable fabrics are the rage these days and no señf-respecting automaker would release a car without them. Mini is bringing a host of new materials and textiles, the seats feature laminated sides and for the first time - integrated armrests.
When it comes to wheels, Mini designers had a tough job. Trying to combine a visually attractive wheel design with improved aerodynamic performance for an electric car is not an easy task. The end result is wheels with a simple geometric design and two contrasting colors are used to emphasize the design and the size of the wheel itself. Clever and effective and well-suited solution for the Charismatic Simplicity that Mini is so proud of.
The largest and the smallest Mini models are both interesting vehicles, in electric form they will be selling like hot cakes and the company knows it. The factory in Leipzig, Germany, is almost ready to start production of the Mini Cooper and Mini Countryman alongside the BMW iX1 and with prices set to start slightly above the current models, there will be plenty of overtime available in Leipzig.
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