Mini is nearly ready to show its first-ever plug-in hybrid, but the company is not saying much about it at this point. Still, based on a few press photos of a camouflaged prototype of the new gasoline-electric model, it’s pretty clear that it will be based on the next-generation Countryman crossover, which is due to make its debut within the next few months.
Although Mini is heralding the Countryman hybrid as the brand’s first foray into electrification, it seems to be forgetting about the all-electric Mini E hatchback that it produced a few years ago. The new Countryman plug-in won’t share any of that car’s technology, however. From the way Mini describes the basic operation of the new hybrid drivetrain, it will be nearly identical to BMW’s plug-in-hybrid system, with drive modes called Auto eDrive, Max eDrive, and Save Battery that utilize the power sources in different ways.
The new Countryman will be based on the same front-wheel-drive platform as the BMW X1. So all signs indicate the Countryman will be using a hybrid setup similar to the China-only X1 xDrive25Le iPerformance hybrid and the Europe-market BMW 225xe, a plug-in-hybrid hatchback; all three ride on BMW’s UKL platform. The 225xe combines a 134-hp, 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder with a rear-mounted 87-hp electric motor to make for through-the-road all-wheel drive. A 7.6-kWh battery enables an all-electric driving range of about 25 miles, and total system o...