√Mini Cooper five-door to live on with petrol power, manual transmission dead globally – reports
The boss of Mini says a five-door Cooper hatchback is coming alongside the new three-door – albeit seemingly with petrol, not electric power only – but no variant of the iconic model will be offered with a manual transmission, for the first time ever.
German-owned British car-maker Mini has confirmed the five-door version of its iconic Cooper hatchback will live on into the model’s newest generation – likely with petrol power only – but the brand is reportedly set to drop the option of manual transmissions across its line-up.
Last week, Mini revealed the Chinese-built, three-door electric version of the new-generation Cooper – formerly known as the Hatch – in three-door guise only, available in Australia next year and underpinned by an electric-car platform developed with China’s GWM.
It will soon be joined by a new three-door petrol Cooper, which is set to remain produced in the UK, and be a heavy facelift of today’s model, rather than an all-new model.
With Mini’s unveiling centred around the three-door, questions were raised about whether the five-door hatchback would continue to be offered alongside its slightly-smaller sibling.
MORE: 2024 Mini Cooper electric hatch unveiled, due in Australia next year
Speaking with UK publication Autocar at the IAA Munich motor show, Mini boss Stefanie Wurst said the five-door Cooper will return – alongside the model’s performance John Cooper Works (JCW) variants and a convertible version.
“We have so much to do with the roll-out of the family we’ve just announced,” Ms Wurst said.
“The Aceman is still missing, the John Cooper Works variations are all to come, we only speak about the three-door but we actually have a five-door coming, and we have a convertible as well.”
Ms Wurst did not specify if the new five-door would be petrol or electric, however Mini specialist website MotoringFile – citing insider sources – reports it will be petrol-only, on the same revised underpinnings as the new petrol three-door.
The same appears to be planned for the convertible – which is also set to be petrol-only – according to MotoringFile.
According to the Mini specialist publication, the first examples of the new five-door Cooper are planned to be built in July 2024 – after the first petrol three-door is produced in March 2024, and the first electric three-door is manufactured before the end of this year.
In Australia, the current-generation Mini Hatch – now Cooper – is available as both a three-door and five-door guise, with prices varying from $1550 to $2325 between identical variants of the two body styles (five-doors being dearer).
Autocar reports the new-generation Mini Cooper JCW is due to launch overseas as a three-door from 2025 – with petrol and electric power – though Australian arrival timing for the hot hatch is yet to be confirmed.
However, Mini will be dropping at least one version of its vehicles in overseas markets, after Ms Wurst told Top Gear there will be no Mini Cooper hatch on offer across the globe.
“We won’t have a manual unfortunately,” Ms Wurst told the UK publication.
In May 2022, Mini announced it would pause production of its manual models in early 2023, citing the need to produce more automatic-equipped cars amid parts shortages and production slowdowns caused by the war in Ukraine.
In February 2023, Mini Australia axed manual transmissions from its local line-up, having offered the gearbox as a no-cost option in 27 of its 43 models throughout 2022.
The Mini Hatch JCW ‘1to6 Edition’ was revealed in May 2023 as a limited-run, manual-only variant for overseas markets – with just 999 examples made.
This limited edition grade did not come to Australia and is expected to be the last manual Mini Cooper hatchback in the model’s history.
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