Mini brings back the Paceman – as a crossover under the Countryman

From 2013 to 2016, Mini already built a combustion engine with the name Paceman: a two-door SUV between the standard Mini and the Countryman – with moderate success. And since the next Countryman will grow again and will not be "Mini" in size or proportions – the first spy photos show a model with the usual proportions of any average mid-size SUV in Mini design – Mini is introducing a second SUV beneath it, which will probably have the dimensions of the still somewhat independent original Countryman. And it will be called Paceman again.

The new Paceman targets Opel Mokka e and co.

The new Paceman will be electric and targets Ford's future electric Puma and the Opel Mokka e, but will also come with all-wheel drive (and thus very strong). Autocar also mentions a generous 60 kWh battery size for about 400 kilometers of range. Further speculations by Kacher concern the drive, in this case the fifth generation of BMW's electric drives. Synchronous machines that do without permanent magnets and rare earths, as also used in the iX and i7. There are no details on the outputs yet, but in the iX the base model offers 240 kW – enough for a Cooper Works version of the future Paceman.

Although there are still speculations about its base: there will be a custom EV base developed in Munich but built in China, and it will be an evolution of the existing EV platforms.

As the Paceman will be positioned below all future BMW models, we are guessing it will use a compact EV platform and be "made in China," so the Paceman might be related to the three-door models and could also replace the standard five-door Minis. The Countryman will move production-wise as a direct relative of the iX1 to Leipzig.

What does this mean?

Not very innovative: The future Paceman will be an electric SUV with the former dimensions of the Countryman, after the latter drifts into the broader mass of mid-sized SUVs. Production is unlikely to take place in the UK, meaning Mini will distance itself even further from its roots. Because small and British will no longer be characteristics of the brand in the future.