A redesigned Mini Countryman is coming for the 2024 model year, and it will be introduced later this year.
Prototypes have been testing around Europe for the past couple of years and this week Mini confirmed production will start late this year, but at a plant in Germany and not the Dutch plant of contract manufacturer VDL Nedcar, where the current Countryman is built.
The redesigned Countryman will be built at a BMW plant in Leipzig, which will make it the first Mini to be built in Germany. The plant is where BMW builds the latest 1-Series, 2-Series Active Tourer, and 2-Series Gran Coupe—all vehicles that use the FAAR platform that underpins the redesigned Countryman.
The FAAR platform is an evolution of the UKL platform underpinning the current Countryman. One of the biggest changes is improved support for battery-electric powertrains. The new Countryman will take advantage of this feature by offering the choice of gas and electric powertrains.
Teaser for 2024 Mini Countryman
To accommodate high-volume production of electric vehicles at the Leipzig plant, BMW has invested more than 800 million euros (approximately $850 million) to add production for EV components, including batteries.
Mini hasn’t provided any details on its new Countryman, though teaser shots as well as spy shots of prototypes point to increased length, most of which will benefit rear cargo storage. The bigger size will also free up space in Mini’s lineup for a smaller, fully electric crossover that will likely go by the Aceman name.
