BMW's Mini brand is looking into expanding its lineup with a fifth model. New report says the next Mini might be a saloon.
According to the Car And Driver Blog, BMW's revival of the Mini brand has struggled to increase sales on a global scale, while maintaining its character. As a result, the interest of the customers has waned, since Minis have gotten over the years less quirky and bigger.
Mini would not replace the Paceman, Roadster and Coupe, following a plan to offer five core models.
The current initiative of the brand to add a fifth Mini to the lineup, joining the Countryman, Clubman, convertible and hardtop models, provides some hope that a more exciting sports car will hit the roads. However, a new report from Autocar suggests that the upcoming Mini will be a four-door sedan, something a lot more conventional than expected.
The vice president of Mini product management Ralph Mahler explained that the business case for this move is sound and solid. The traditional sedans are popular in key markets such as Eastern Europe, China and North America. It is reported that the new Mini model would be based on the Clubman. The upcoming four-door Mini sedan will share Mini Clubman's 2,670 mm long bodywork and wheelbase from the B-pillar forward.
The upcoming vehicle would become one of the smallest saloons on the market, with a length of only around 4,300 mm. Other details about the new Mini remain scarce, but rumors suggest that BMW might use names such as Riley and Triumph on the sedan.
According to Car Scoops, the four-door Mini would target the United States and China markets, but plans to move to the production stage are yet to be confirmed. Mahler added that the company has roots in the sedan concept, which is in their history. It would be interesting for the company to come with a new four-door sedan model, since the sedan segment is very big in the US and Asia.
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