Upping the 2024 Mini Paceman
Upping the Paceman. Mini’s reviving the oddball Paceman for a small electric crossover, due 2024. By Georg Kacher.
Return of the Mini Paceman: you saw it here first
Future scoop / Insider
1 IT ALL STARTED HERE
The Mini Electric is step one. From the next-generation model (2023 onwards) will be a catalyst for the entire Mini range to go electric. So, on top of a new hatch, Mini’s planning a revival of the Paceman – albeit as a four-door now. Think of it as a Mokka and Puma rival, albeit a little further up the premium ladder.
2 FIVE IS ALIVE
While unconfirmed, it makes sense for Mini to make full use of BMW Group’s new ‘Generation 5’ e-motor tech that first launched in the iX3. They’re brushed motors, in order to get around using rare earths – old school, but BMW’s designed them for max efficiency and heat management.
3 NEW FAMILY LOOK
Mini’s already teased what the next-generation hatchback will look like (and undisguised images are all over the internet). The new baby crossover will steal some of the hatch’s design cues inside and out, and is expected to come with all-wheel drive (a rarity in this segment), a less rakish roofline than the old Paceman and an XXL body-coloured ‘grille’.
4 NOT ENOUGH SPACE?
Need something more spacious even than the Paceman? A less extreme but just as versatile production version of the Urbanaut concept (pictured) is expected to top the Mini range, possibly replacing the Clubman.
Sources say it will feature the concept’s sliding door and the lounge-style layout.
Bernd Körber Head of Mini
‘We have the next five years buttoned up and, come 2030, Mini will be fully electric. We’ll use two architectures: a bespoke EV matrix developed in Munich but built in China; and a comprehensive evolution of our existing platform. A Mini is a Mini, no matter whether it’s battery or petrol-powered.’
Factfile
- POWERTRAIN 60kWh battery (est), all-wheel drive, 250-mile range (est)
- CHASSIS Steel monocoque
- DUE 2024