Featured Mini Countryman Now Available As Plug In Hybrid 4WD

Given the Mini's past reliability issues, it will be interesting to see how their hybrid venture fares.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

4wd won't really compete with prime, but could be very popular if bmw can keep it under 50k.

 

Mini is quite popular among female drivers, it will be interesting to see how a PHEV fares.

 

The Mini brand, is still an expensive vehicle in the USA for what it is.

 

Too late! After all the 'Swiss Army knife' the IONIQ we are all waiting on will have dominated the market for hybrids, plug-ins, and EVs by then.

Not holding my breath,
Bob Wilson

 

wonder if gm will do a volt minivan ....

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24 miles ev, 24 mpg?

 

It's a through the road hybrid; the ICE drives the front wheels and the motor the rear ones.
If it is saving charge for AWD duties while in hybrid mode, then it won't get much better than the ICE model in fuel economy.

 

An editor should have kicked the author's butt for his inaccuracies.

First the author says: "For the first time, all Countryman variants can be optioned with All4 all-wheel drive. No matter what drivetrain layout is desired, buyers have the option of automatic or manual transmissions."

Then in the next paragraph he refutes that by saying: "If you want to go green, opt for the horribly named Cooper S E Countryman All4. This is Mini's first plug-in hybrid, combining the I3 motor and a rear-mounted electric motor to produce 221 horsepower and 284 pound-feet of torque. There's no manual transmission here, sadly."

 

That's because people are still thinking the hybrid is far different than the standard ICE model.

 

I have no knowledge of a Manual Transmission Plug-in-hybrid built so far. Sadly for the journalist, of course.

 

Instead, we can breathe easy.

Each new offering from other automakers goes to validate how well Toyota researched & refined.

 

I've been in the EPA "Test Car Data List" and it looks like the latter. They don't have the Prime numbers, yet, but their 2017 numbers for the Gen-4 are awesome. Looking forward to seeing one 'in real life' at the stop light ... with my BMW i3-REx. <GRINS>

Bob Wilson

 

Why do you say DOA? as no way DOA anymore with low price and with extended HOV stickers in CA and mega-incentive$ in the blue states and Canada? Not that I agree with mega incentives, but I am a pragmatist.

 

Volvo's XC60 PHEV that came out before Mitisubishi's Outlander PHEV, was a big hit in Europe and a through the road hybrid.

 

The first generation Honda Civic Hybrid was available with a manual transmission. My daughter just traded hers in with 275K miles. She would have bought another hybrid if one was available with a manual transmission.

 

I wrote plug-in hybrids