• Urbanaut concept has a flexible interior and configurable layout
• Future mini models will get styling cues and technology from this concept
• The concept is drivable, but technical details have not been revealed

Mini Urbanaut concept: What’s new in Munich?

The concept car made its debut at the Munich Motor Show. It is 4.5 meters long and aims to demonstrate the flexibility of the interior.Mini designer Oliver Heilmer said in a conversation with our sister publication OurUK at the Munich Motor Show that internal dialogue BMW He has shifted from his purpose of explaining the concept to discussing how to make it a reality.

“With what we have achieved, BMW now believes that there is an opportunity for production and how to produce it,” he said. “As you can imagine, this is a long process. This is a different platform [to any current Mini]From a technical point of view, this is a challenge because it has features such as steer-by-wire, but it has not yet been put into production. But we will never give up. “

He said that this will attract new Mini buyers, that is, large families who want more space and flexibility in a compact package. “Every ordinary car is too small,” he said, unless you have enough budget to buy a bigger car.

Heilmer further stated: “Urbanaut’s creation is the same as the original Issigonis Mini, clever use of space. The car contains only the necessary things, no surface elements. However, even if it enters the production stage, there will be at least five years.

Urbanaut concept inspires future Mini models

Whether it is produced or not, Urbanaut will still influence the next generation of Minis, starting with the hatchback developed by the fourth-generation BMW launched in 2025. According to Heilmer, it will reflect that Urbanaut “focuses only on what is necessary.”

The next Mini will be slightly shorter than the current car and have better proportions, especially at the front, where the wheels are pushed to the corners again. This can be achieved by switching to an electric vehicle architecture, the hatch is only suitable for EVs. By the end of this century, all mini cars will be electric.

Indian mini

Back in India, Mini recently launched Renewed Cooper hatchback series Including the top JCW version. However, like its parent company BMW, Mini has not announced any reliable plans for electrification in India.

See also:

Mini’s last internal combustion engine model will come out in 2025