Replete with electric-green badging and everything.
BMW Group Australia, the keepers of the MINI brand here, have confirmed that the marque’s first-ever plug-in hybrid will be landing in the second-quarter of 2019. The Mini Countryman S E All4 PHEV’s impending arrival was confirmed by the local office’s CEO Marc Werner during the launch of the updated MINI range.
“We have been looking at the Mini plug-in hybrid now for some time, and the feedback we have from dealers & customers is really positive. As part of the BMW Group, [MINI] are committed to broadening our range of low-emissions vehicles. As for timing or final details, we’re not quite there [to reveal them] yet. But we can say that we are keen to bring the [Countryman S E All4 PHEV] in, and we will see it here in the first-half of 2019.” — Marc Werner, CEO, BMW Group Australia
The Countryman S E All4 PHEV was launched some time ago, and seeks motivation from a 1.5-litre turbo-triple, mated to a synchronous electric motor to reduce a healthy 165kW and 385Nm combined. While a century sprint time hasn’t yet been supplied, keen buyers may be more interested to note the Countryman PHEV’s 42km all-electric range (and 125km/h top speed without combustion), as well as its claimed combined fuel consumption of just 2.1L/100km.
While specs & kit haven’t been detailed, what we do know is that the Countryman PHEV will benefit from a range of driving modes unique to the model, including Auto & Max eDrive modes, as well as Save Battery. Auto lets the car decide which power source is most efficient based on current conditions, whereas Max will maximise the use of the electric powertrain (but enable the petrol engine to kick in when more power is demanded). Save Battery is pretty self explanatory, with the petrol engine being used primarily, ensuring that battery charge remains at 90% or higher throughout.
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