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2020 Mini Cooper S E electric car's reveal date announced

Although we've pretty much seen the production 2020 Mini Cooper S E electric hatchback, we've been in the dark about when the car, and more importantly its specifications, will officially be revealed. But now the company says we'll see it on July 9, just a few weeks away. As you can see above, the car pulls many design cues from the Frankfurt concept such as the mostly filled-in grille with a yellow-green stripe and the nifty four-spoke wheels. Of course it's also clearly and closely based on the regular Mini Hardtop, and it even features the Mini Cooper S hood scoop. That's another indication that Mini intends for it to be comparable to a sporty gas-powered model. We're most anxious for confirmation on performance specifications. In our prototype drive, we learned that the motor is based on the one from the BMW i3S, so it should make about 181 horsepower, just 8 shy of the gas-powered Mini Cooper S. But the range estimate given during the prototype drive was a rather low 120 miles. That's actually a little less than the 150 miles of the prototype Mini E from about a decade ago. More finalized numbers should be available after the official reveal.

Thanks to smaller engines, vehicle dependability falls for first time in 16 years

As automakers have made engines smaller and smaller to improve fuel economy, problems in those vehicles have gotten bigger and bigger. That's the synopsis of a J.D. Power vehicle-dependability study, which found that dependability dropped for the first time in 16 years, largely because the proliferation of four-cylinder engines is causing the vehicles to be less reliable. Specifically, the number of problems per 100 vehicles (or what J.D. Power calls PP100) during the past 12 months for 2011 model-year vehicles rose six percent from the year-earlier figures for 2010 model-year cars. Singling out four-cylinder vehicles revealed about a 10-percent increase in problems during the past year. This issues largely related to engine hesitation, rough transmission shifting and lack of power, signaling the inability of vehicle makers to iron out some of the problems in their smaller engines as they strove for better fuel economy. Six- and five-cylinder engines proved far more reliable. Among car brands, BMW's Mini sub-brand came out as least reliable, with 185 problems per 100 vehicles during the past year. Toyota's Lexus badge was easily the most reliable, with just 68 problems per 100 vehicles. Coming in second place was Mercedes-Benz. The overall average was 133. Check out J.D. Power's press release below. J.D. Power Reports: Increased Engine and Transmission Problems Contribute to Decline in Vehicle Dependability for The First Time in More Than 15 Years General Motors Company Receives Eight Segment Awards, While Toyota Motor Corporation Garners Seven and Honda Motor Company Earns Six WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: o Owners of 3-year-old vehicles (2011 model year) report more problems than did owners of 3-year-old vehicles last year, according to the J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS) released today. The study, now in its 25th year, examines problems experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of 2011 model-year vehicles. Overall dependability is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality. The study finds that overall vehicle dependability averages 133 PP100, a 6 percent increase in problems from 126 PP100 in 2013. This marks the first time since the 1998 study that the average number of problems has increased. "Until this year, we have seen a continual improvement in vehicle dependability," said David Sargent, vice president of global automotive at J.D.

2020 Mini Countryman gains discounted Oxford Edition, program opens up to everybody

Mini is extending the Oxford Edition program to the 2020 Countryman and making all Oxford Edition pricing available to the public at large. Previously, Mini only offered the Oxford Edition pricing to recent college grads, graduate students and active and recently retired military personnel. It was also limited to the two-door and four-door Hardtops. Similar to the excellent value added by the Hardtops, the Countryman also adds a fleet of standard equipment for a discounted price. The base price of a Countryman is $29,750, including the $850 destination charge. A Countryman Oxford Edition starts at $26,750, representing a $3,000 discount off the bat. However, Mini throws in a bunch of equipment from the mid-level Signature trim that makes this an even tastier dish. You get 18-inch wheels, heated front seats, automatic climate control, an anthracite headliner and additional paint color options. Mini says that those added options represent $5,500 worth of added value over a base Countryman. Those up north will also be glad to hear that Mini is offering the same deal for the Countryman ALL4 with all-wheel drive. Simply add $2,000 to the front-drive model, and you’re left with a price of $28,750 — all the same equipment as the front-drive car is onboard. The Countryman was a rather pricey proposition before, but this makes it much more appealing. WeÂ’ll note that this deal is being offered on 2020 Countrymans, so the dual-clutch automatic transmission is the only option. 2021 Minis are said to be regaining three-pedal options, but Mini hasnÂ’t confirmed manual transmission offerings for the Countryman or Clubman yet. 2020 Countryman Oxford Editions will begin arriving at dealerships in “limited numbers” starting in July. Pricing for the 2021 Cooper Hardtop is also available now. Thankfully, itÂ’s no more expensive than it was before, with the two-door slotting in at $20,600. A four-door is $1,000 more at $21,600. You can read our thoughts on the package in our Oxford Edition review here. 2019 Mini Oxford Edition View 6 Photos