Mini Cooper, 2014 Mini Cooper Hybrid Spy
Due in about three years, the next-generation Mini Cooper will offer a four-wheel-drive version. There’s a catch, though: The rear wheels will have no connection to the engine. The car will be a hybrid, and the rear wheels will exclusively be turned by an electric motor.
As BMW switches the next-generation 1-series to front-wheel drive, and expands the Mini portfolio with several new models, the Bavarians are looking at options for hybridizing its upcoming front-wheel drivers. To expedite the process, BMW recently announced a partnership with PSA Peugeot Citroën to develop hybrid tech for front-drive applications. Although BMW presently offers hybrid versions of its X6 and 7-series, each uses a rear-wheel-drive-oriented system co-developed with other companies—and neither is especially frugal. PSA, on the other hand, is launching the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid 4 this year, a compact MPV on a front-wheel-drive platform with a rear-mounted electric motor powering the rear wheels. BMW seems to see its smaller cars heading in this direction.
In this test mule, we can see that the electric motor is connected to the rear axle. The extra power and enhanced launchability should give it a decisive advantage over front-drive Minis, and while the motor and battery pack will add unwelcome weight, at least they’ll be mounted low in the chassis. That said, the production cars won’t be quite as low to the ground as the mule seen here. The hybrid module will likely be offered in a number of Mini derivatives; from the “regular” Mini Cooper up to the Countryman.
It’s not yet clear what kind of combustion engine Mini will pair with the electric drive system, although both diesel and gasoline mills would be compatible. The hybrid won’t share much technology with the Mini E, and we are optimistic that—unlike in that fully electric Mini—rear seating will be part of the package.
Like the original Mini, today’s Cooper is most at home in cities, and it’s in the slow, stop-and-go traffic that hybrid systems best deliver their benefits. The Mini remains hot for fashionable urban drivers, and it’s possible that a hybrid version will up the chic factor for these shoppers—even if it is very late to the eco-party.
How will the hybrid versions be positioned in the Mini lineup? Peugeot priced the 3008 hybrid at the very top of the car’s price ladder. With more power and all-wheel drive, the hybrid Minis are likely to be the most expensive in their ranges, too. It also remains to be seen how much the extra weight and complexity will diminish the Mini models’ playful character.
Due in about three years, the next-generation Mini Cooper will offer a four-wheel-drive version. There’s a catch, though: The rear wheels will have no connection to the engine. The car will be a hybrid, and the rear wheels will exclusively be turned by an electric motor.
As BMW switches the next-generation 1-series to front-wheel drive, and expands the Mini portfolio with several new models, the Bavarians are looking at options for hybridizing its upcoming front-wheel drivers. To expedite the process, BMW recently announced a partnership with PSA Peugeot Citroën to develop hybrid tech for front-drive applications. Although BMW presently offers hybrid versions of its X6 and 7-series, each uses a rear-wheel-drive-oriented system co-developed with other companies—and neither is especially frugal. PSA, on the other hand, is launching the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid 4 this year, a compact MPV on a front-wheel-drive platform with a rear-mounted electric motor powering the rear wheels. BMW seems to see its smaller cars heading in this direction.
In this test mule, we can see that the electric motor is connected to the rear axle. The extra power and enhanced launchability should give it a decisive advantage over front-drive Minis, and while the motor and battery pack will add unwelcome weight, at least they’ll be mounted low in the chassis. That said, the production cars won’t be quite as low to the ground as the mule seen here. The hybrid module will likely be offered in a number of Mini derivatives; from the “regular” Mini Cooper up to the Countryman.
It’s not yet clear what kind of combustion engine Mini will pair with the electric drive system, although both diesel and gasoline mills would be compatible. The hybrid won’t share much technology with the Mini E, and we are optimistic that—unlike in that fully electric Mini—rear seating will be part of the package.
Like the original Mini, today’s Cooper is most at home in cities, and it’s in the slow, stop-and-go traffic that hybrid systems best deliver their benefits. The Mini remains hot for fashionable urban drivers, and it’s possible that a hybrid version will up the chic factor for these shoppers—even if it is very late to the eco-party.
How will the hybrid versions be positioned in the Mini lineup? Peugeot priced the 3008 hybrid at the very top of the car’s price ladder. With more power and all-wheel drive, the hybrid Minis are likely to be the most expensive in their ranges, too. It also remains to be seen how much the extra weight and complexity will diminish the Mini models’ playful character.
