Hot on the heels of a sighting of a prototype for a new Mini Aceman crossover we now have fresh spy shots and video of the premium small car brand’s next Countryman.
The redesigned Countryman is due first. It will be revealed later this year before going on sale next year as a 2025 model. The Aceman (the Paceman name also been rumored) should arrive shortly after.
The latest spy shots show the Countryman devoid of camouflage gear. The design has lost the roundness of the previous two generations, and this can especially be seen with the headlights which have taken on a square shape. There’s also an odd piece of detailing where the rear three quarter window is located.
We can see that the redesigned Countryman will be longer than the current generation. Total length grows to 174 inches, up about 5.1 inches on the current model, and the height also grows about 2.4 inches to 63.5 inches. A glimpse of the dash shows what appears to be a head-up display unit in front of the driver or perhaps simply a screen.
The redesigned Countryman is bigger to increase the vehicle’s appeal in more markets, particularly the U.S. It’s also to make way for the smaller Aceman, a concept for which was shown last July. The Aceman will be a dedicated electric vehicle developed by Spotlight Automotive, the Chinese joint venture between Mini and Great Wall Motors established in 2019.
Mini has developed the redesigned Countryman on BMW Group’s FAAR platform for front-wheel-drive cars. It’s a close cousin of the redesigned 2023 BMW X1, and the two vehicles will share a production line at a plant in Leipzig, Germany, making this the first Mini to be built in Germany. The current Countryman has been in production since 2016 at a plant in the Netherlands operated by independent vehicle manufacturer VDL Nedcar.
2025 Mini Countryman spy shots – Photo credit: Baldauf
Mini has confirmed it will offer electric versions of the new Countryman: a base Countryman E with 188 hp and a sportier Countryman SE with 308 hp. The SE will also come with all-wheel drive, made possible by a dual-motor setup. The battery is confirmed as a 64.7-kwh unit, which Mini said will deliver a maximum range of about 280 miles on the WLTP test cycle used overseas. The stricter EPA cycle should result in a lower estimate.
There will still be gas-powered versions, though a plug-in hybrid is looking unlikely. Expect the base Cooper to continue with a 1.5-liter turbo-3. A 2.0-liter turbo-4 should feature in the Cooper S and possibly in the John Cooper Works model, though we know Mini is already working on a high-performance electric powertrain for future JCW models.
2025 Mini Countryman spy shots – Photo credit: Baldauf
Note, this will be the last generation of the Countryman with internal-combustion power. Mini has confirmed it will only introduce electric vehicles starting in 2025.
In addition to the new Countryman and Aceman crossovers, Mini is also working on a redesign for its signature hatch, which will be called the Cooper instead of sticking with the current Hardtop name. The new Cooper is also due on sale next year as a 2025 model.
