BMW Interested In Mini SUV & Sports Car

According to reports, BMW is considering expansion of the Mini brand. The British brand currently consists of seven models, including the recently announced Mini Cooper Paceman. But all Mini are quintessentially the same, all modifications of the Mini Cooper hatchback design. But the Bavarian auto giant wants to add an SUV, a sports car and a sedan to the Mini lineup, taking the count up to ten.
“Recently appointed Mini brand board member Harald Kreuger says that these models have yet to be decided upon, and that a Mini smaller than the regular hatchback is also a consideration. This idea has already been explored with the 2011 Rocketman concept, although this particular smaller Mini has been abandoned because it was too costly to make, and the challenge of building a more compact, profitable Mini may yet prove insurmountable.”, reports Inside Line.
New models would allow the Mini brand to make its presence felt in different segment, whereas currently it is only limited to hatchbacks and crossovers. A Mini sports coupe would be similar to the Mazda MX-5 Miata, not in terms design but in terms of being compact and affordability. A Mini sedan would is expected to be popular in China, where Mini already has a strong presence. And finally, an SUV would complete the picture, since Mini already offers a crossover or compact SUV in the form of the Countryman model. However, it should also be noted here that, bring out an SUV model and a full size sedan would essentially mean drifting away from the “Mini” tag, as this would be larger than anything Mini has ever produced.
“A lot of customers would like to stay with the brand when they need something bigger,” says Kreuger, “and a Volvo or a BMW will not do.” All Minis will have “go-kart handling, emotional design, exude Britishness and be profitable,” he adds.
Future Mini models will also be get a new platform and a new 1.5 liter three-cylinder engine, which they will share with the first ever BMW front-wheel-drive model that will debut at next week’s Paris Auto Show.