The 2014 Mini Cooper launched just recently, but the brand reportedly already has a 2020 version in the works that could have a pure electric model.
The fourth generation of Mini Cooper will feature new materials and smaller engines, industry sources told Edmunds.com.
While it's too early in the development process for specifications, the 2020 Mini Cooper will likely be more space-efficient and lighter, but it will still keep its signature Mini style, Edmunds reported.
BMW, Mini Cooper's parent company, has been using more carbon fiber and electric powertrains in its new i brand, something that could be implemented into future Mini versions.
The 2020 redesign could be a daring shift from the first BMW Mini, which appeared in 2001 and has been a platform template for the second- and third-generation vehicles.
Sources told Edmunds that the Mini has room to evolve safely since the brand has been reestablished worldwide with a successful lineup.
The 2014 Mini Cooper hatchback is slightly bigger than its predecessors, with the Edmunds review placing the length at "about a cell phone" greater than the outgoing model. The modest increase in size makes for more room in the back seat, while maximum cargo space is up more than 50 percent for 38 cubic feet.
Available in two-door hatchback and convertible versions, the 2014 model comes in base Cooper and Cooper S trims for the hatchback and Cooper, Cooper S and John Cooper Works (JCW) versions for the convertible.
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