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BMW is preparing the first plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the MINI, giving us a few scant details and some test-drive insight from senior bosses ahead of the car's launch.
Sebastian Mackensen, head of MINI brand management, and Peter Wolf, head of MINI series management, both claim that the PHEV maintains the 'go-kart feeling in the true spirit of a MINI', despite all its on-board eco-equipment.
Munich won't as yet confirm the exact specs of the drivetrain, saying nothing more than it's a combustion engine with an electric motor, but we'd be stunned to the point of utter stupefaction if it wasn't the running gear out of the 225xe. That means a petrol-fired 1.5-litre turbocharged triple doing the donkey work up front and a lithium-ion battery pack under the rear seats, although whether the 225's 224hp/385Nm maximum outputs are required in the MINI PHEV is yet to be seen.
The MINI chiefs are keen to point out that the hybrid looks almost identical to a regular version, with only the charging point on the front nearside wing and a start/stop button within that glows yellow instead of red being the first things you'll clock. The rev counter has also been replaced with a power display, which keeps the driver informed about the battery's reserves at all time, and MINI says the PHEV always starts in silent, zero-emissions mode.
Perhaps of more interest visually is the fact that, despite the garish camouflage cloaking the PHEV, it's not hard to spot that this is a Countryman body - so we could be getting two reveals in one here, of both the PHEV and the new off-roading MINI.
With running modes of Auto eDrive, Max eDrive and Save Battery, BMW claims the car has a 125km/h top speed in the pure Max eDrive running mode, with an 80km/h limiter for Auto eDrive. Mackensen explained: "In a hybrid MINI model, driving electrically must also be an exhilarating experience. This means that entirely electric driving is not limited to speeds of 30 or 40km/h, but to speeds well beyond city traffic pace."
It's not just the speed, though, which marks out the part-electric MINI, as the handling is said to be impressive. "As far as the chassis and suspension are concerned, nothing changes from the conventionally driven model variants," said Wolf, "and the set-up benefits a lot from the hybrid concept." That's because the hybrid components are mounted very low in the rear, reducing the car's centre-of-gravity and splitting the weight evenly front-to-rear. It's also, in fully electric mode, rear-wheel drive, as the e-motor handles the back axle while the three-pot petrol looks after the front.
"With this model, we want to convince MINI customers of the benefits of hybrid drive," added Mackensen, "and impress everyone who already has hybrid driving experience with MINI's unique go-kart driving feel."
Anything else?
If you're thinking this isn't the first electrified MINI, you'd be right. Back in 2009, the MINI E was part of a field test project that would eventually go on to become BMW's i brand; and the 40 cars used over the water in the UK section of the trial went on to be used as support cars at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.