Putting a stop to speculation that the convertible format was on its way to the dustbin at Mini, the British automaker has confirmed there will be a next-generation Mini Convertible… in 2025. This likely means the brand’s lineup will include a cabriolet at least until the end of the current decade.
“The Mini Convertible has a large and particularly loyal fan base. This is also shown by the great demand for the latest, freshly updated model. We are therefore firmly convinced of the success of this vehicle concept for the future.”
- Bernd Körber, head of Mini for the BMW Group
The 2025 target also means the current Mini Convertible is staying with us for another couple of years at least, of course. According to Mini demand for the format is strongest in German, the United States and Great Britain, in that order. A surprising 20 percent of German Mini buyers last years went for the convertible last year. Said Körber, “This demonstrates the great enthusiasm of the Mini community for a vehicle concept like this in the future”.
The next logical question becomes how electrification might fit into plans for the next Mini Convertible. The company has said it will likely be an all-electric brand by the early 2030s. The hiccup in this case is that convertible carry extra weight due to the mechanism for opening and closing the roof, so the added weight of a battery pack on top of that could pose a real challenge. Might this mean a combustion-engine Mini Convertible in 2025? Could that then be the last such powertrain in a new BMW Group model? We’ll see.
