A recent report suggested that Mini’s officials have decided to reduce the model range from eight to just five, but that doesn’t mean the, now defunct, Paceman won’t have a successor.
However, it would be a spiritual successor, as Mini is considering adding a coupe variant of the recently launched Countryman, Auto Express says. According to the British magazine, BMW‘s chief designer Adrian van Hooydonk revealed that the company is currently analyzing a different take on the Paceman.
“Part of the issue was the three doors. We have looked into a lot of things, but all of our [BMW] SUV coupes are five-door vehicles. As much as people probably drive the cars with only one or two people, they like the comfort of an extra set of doors. They want to carry extra stuff – throw a bag in the rear or take someone,” said van Hooydonk.
It’s unknown if such a vehicle will be introduced as a standalone model or as an addition to the Countryman line-up, but it most certainly will be based on the same platform, and offer the same range of three and four-cylinder engines found across the range.
Visually, it will sport a similar recipe as its Bavarian cousins, with a sloped roof towards the back, and a more dynamic stance. Don’t expect it into production earlier than 2018, though.
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