With plans to transition into an electric-only brand by 2030, MINI will be going through quite a sea change with its portfolio, with many new models having already been confirmed. Evidently, this will lead to a number of discontinued products, but it’s now been confirmed the Convertible model will not be one of them.
That’s right – the fashionable droptop will continue in the lineup at least in the near future, with the next generation due to enter production in 2025. “The MINI Convertible has a large and particularly loyal fan base. This is also shown by the great demand for the latest, freshly updated model,” said MINI boss Bernd Körber. “We are therefore firmly convinced of the success of this vehicle concept for the future.”
No details have been released so far and as yet, it is unclear what form the new car will take. The car that the Convertible has always been based on, the MINI Hatch, is set to be split into two different models. An all new model, which will be smaller and powered purely by electric power, is due to go on sale in 2023, whereas a petrol-powered Hatch will debut in 2025 and is expected to be based on the current model.
The company has made no indication on which one of these cars the next Convertible will be based on. However, given the expected release date and the fact that the outgoing F56 already has an F57 soft-top version, it stands to reason that the new one will feature an internal combustion engine. Petrol-powered MINI models will continue to be built at the Oxford plant in the United Kingdom, whereas the electric ones will be produced in China as part of a deal with Great Wall Motors.
The cabriolet body style appeared relatively recently in MINI’s 62-year history, having debuted in 1993 as a limited edition model late in the lifecycle of the original Alec Issigonis-designed Mini. In turn, the Convertible became the first derivative of the “new” MINI, with the first-generation model going on sale in 2004. The car has been particularly popular in Germany, where one in every five MINI sold is a droptop.
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