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2019 Mini Cooper gets updated, becomes even more British

For the 2019 model year, Mini is rolling out a slew of updates to its current two- and four-door hardtop models and the convertible. It's a very modest revision in most respects. From the front, the only real change is to the headlights. The LED running lights that encircle the main lighting element now illuminate in a full circle, and that full circle flashes amber to function as a turn signal. The sides are also virtually unchanged, but coming around to the back you'll find the most obvious change. No longer are the taillights simple rounded rectangles with circles inside. Now the lighting elements are fully LED and in the shape of the Union Jack, the British flag. It's executed well, but it's a little silly. What's next, a horn that plays "Rule, Britannia?" How about appending the initials "HMS" ahead of the Cooper name? We kid, but we do worry a little about Mini focusing too much on kitschy British references. View 14 Photos Other exterior updates include three new metallic colors called Emerald Gray, Starlight Blue, and Solaris Orange. They can be joined by the Piano Black package that swaps the chrome around the lights and grille for gloss black. The custom Mini Yours fender badges and lights that are made with 3D printing or laser engraving are also available. The interior is mostly unchanged. Bluetooth connectivity is now standard across the board, along with a 6.5-inch infotainment screen. There are new options, too. Both two- and four-door Mini hatches can be ordered with Malt Brown Chesterfield Leather. Like the exterior, the interior has a Piano Black trim option. It adds gloss black trim throughout, along with a panel on the passenger side with a Union Jack motif. That motif has transparent sections that light up in the same color as the driver-selectable interior lighting. An updated 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system and wireless phone charging are also options. Related Video:

Mini Clubvan axed after just 50 sales

Well, that didn't last long. According to Green Car Reports, Mini has discontinued the Clubvan from its model range in the United States.
Nathalie Bauters, Mini's US communications manager, cited "relatively low demand and the effect of an excessive 25-percent tax on vehicles for commercial use (known as 'the Chicken Tax')" as the key reasons for axing the Clubman from our market, GCR reports. The 2013 Clubvan launched in the US earlier this year, and to date roughly 50 examples have been sold.
The Clubvan, based on the Clubman model, features a flat load floor behind the two front seats, with blacked-out (well, body-colored) side windows. This nifty little cargo wagon could carry up to 33 cubic feet of goods, which while useful, pales in comparison to more capacious offerings like the Ford Transit Connect van.

Third-generation Mini Countryman looks all grown up in official spy shots

Mini's Countryman crossover is about to receive a significant makeover. While the third-generation model won't make its debut until later in 2023, the BMW-owned company published a set of official "spy" shots to preview the model and released details about where it will be built. Although the original Mini released in 1959 is an emblem of the British car industry, BMW is responsible for successfully transforming the model line into a full-fledged brand, and the third-generation Countryman will roll off the assembly line with a "made in Germany" label. It will be built alongside the 1 Series, the 2 Series Gran Coupe, and the 2 Series Active Tourer in Leipzig, Germany, so it will be the first German-built Mini (the current-generation Countryman is made in Holland). It will also stand out as the first Mini built under the same roof as BMWs. The crossover remains fully camouflaged, but it looks bigger and more rugged than the outgoing model; it notably sits higher and has a less tapered roof line. While the psychedelic black and yellow wrap hides most of the finer design details, we can tell that the Countryman loses the clamshell hood, but keeps the thick headlight bezels that have characterized the nameplate since its 21st-century reboot in 2010. The exterior door handles are now mounted flush with the door skins, and the big sensor in the grille hints at a wide selection of driving aids. Mini hasn't released technical specifications, but it clarified that gasoline- and battery-powered versions of the next Countryman will be available. An unverified report claims that the lineup will also include a gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain rated at about 322 horsepower. Front-wheel-drive will come standard, and all-wheel-drive will be either optional or standard on more expensive powertrains. BMW will begin building the next Mini Countryman in late 2023, and we expect to hear more about the model in the coming months.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.