Oxford, England — BMW is set to intensify the premium small-car fight with arch-rivals Mercedes-Benz and Audi by adding two more models to the Mini lineup. News of the additional models, for which BMW has given no details, came as the automaker announced a $390-million investment plan for its U.K. operations.
The money will be spent on a trio of factories, including a push to expand capacity at the main Mini production facility in Oxford, England.
"This is to support the company's international growth strategy for the Mini brand with increasing volumes and up to 10 different models in the new lineup in the mid-term," said BMW in a statement on Monday.
The Mini range has expanded substantially since the launch of the three-door hatch in 2001, growing to include a four-seat cabriolet, the Clubman wagon, the five-door Countryman hatchback, the two-seat Mini Roadster and Coupe and most recently, the Clubvan, an upmarket delivery van based on the Clubman. Still to come is the Paceman, a larger three-door car that's a coupe-like cross of the Countryman and the three-door hatch. It's scheduled to appear later this year. A convertible version of that car could constitute another model, bringing the total to nine.
For the 10th model, BMW has previously considered a Mini smaller than the core three-door hatchback, unveiling a concept called the Rocketman at the 2011 Geneva Auto Show.
At just under 12 feet, the concept was barely longer than the 10 feet of the original 1959 Austin Mini, but BMW has subsequently said that the business case for a smaller car did not stack up.
However, the Rocketman will be shown at the 2012 Olympics in London, where BMW has a substantial sponsor's presence. There is no question that in marketing terms, if not profitability, a smaller Mini would make sense.
BMW has also said that it will not make a Mini any bigger than the Countryman. However, a proper small SUV crossover (the Countryman is available with four-wheel drive, but is not really seen as a small SUV) would likely be more profitable than a baby Mini, although there are no indications yet that BMW is considering such a model.
An SUV crossover could be based on the platform to be used by the third-generation BMW Mini due in 2014, which will share its all-new core with the next-generation BMW 1 Series. The decision to share platforms across these two models will do much to ensure that the Mini brand remains profitable. Meanwhile, BMW insiders say that the company's chassis department is striving to make this "the best front-drive chassis in the world."
Mini purists will note that in the latest spy shots of the 2014 Mini's interior, the central location for the speedometer has been abandoned. It was a dominant feature of both the 1959 original and the BMW-built models. A large round dial will remain, this time carrying only the infotainment display.
