Auto Express 1770

BY any stretch of the imagination, launching three all-new cars in the space of a couple of years is tough work. Yet that’s exactly what MINI is going to do, as you can read about on page eight. It’s not exactly a whole range reinvention, but it comes close. There’s a greater degree of electrification added to the traditional go-kart handling and distinctive MINI style; once the camouflage is lost, the new cars will still look very much like MINIs, inside and out. But it’s not only the cars that impress me with MINI; it’s also the way that BMW has gone about revitalising the great British brand – including how it sells those cars. On holiday in the US recently I took my American folks to their local MINI…

@stevefowler MINI has revealed a total reinvention of its range over the next couple of years and given Auto Express access to all three new models, under disguise, with boss Stefanie Wurst to talk us through them. First to arrive will be the new Countryman SUV – a car that Wurst tells us has a big job to do. “This will definitely help us out in the US,” she says. “It’s also for people we were losing from the brand.” The new model grows by more than 100mm to just over 4,400mm long, giving much more usable space in the back row and a bigger boot than the outgoing car. It’ll also mark a couple of firsts: it’ll be the first all-electric Countryman – the plug-in hybrid will be consigned…

Q Three new models in two years is impressive, but is there still a fourth spot on the grid? A “I think there is a fourth spot, yes. I think concepts away from a crossover could have good potential for the future in regions like China. We have loads of projects running, but only some of them make it to the market.” Q How important is personalisation to MINI? A “Personalisation is key. We’ll continue to grow that, with the new cars having new materials, storage and colours, as well as technology. You’ll still be able to personalise the ambient lighting, but also the head and tail-lights, too.” Q Does an increased focus on sustainability and the circular economy go hand in hand with MINI? A “I think MINI follows…

@johnmcilroy • Electric SUV used as template for mild and full-hybrid versions HYUNDAI has made huge gains in the electric-car market with its Ioniq 5 model. But the company hasn’t forgotten the more affordable end of the EV spectrum, and it will make a fresh push in that area of the market with the all-new Kona. The B-segment SUV will continue to be offered as a mild hybrid and a full hybrid, alongside a pure-electric version. But it’s the zero-tailpipe-emission edition that led the design process, because Hyundai’s team, led by SangYup Lee, elected to work on the Kona Electric first and then adapt it for the combustion-engined variants. Hyundai says it has listened carefully to feedback from Mk1 Kona owners who requested extra cabin space and a larger load…

AWAY from EVs, Hyundai has given its third-generation i10 a mid-life refresh, adding some new tech for 2023. Exterior tweaks include reshaped LED headlights front and rear, a new grille insert and fresh 15-inch alloy wheels. Pick the i10 N Line range-topper and you’ll get bespoke bumpers front and rear with red accents throughout, and N Line-specific 16-inch alloy wheels plus bespoke front fog lights. The interior receives new blue mood lighting, as well as a ‘Purple Package’, which offers tartan fabric seats with stitching and air-vent surrounds finished in purple. The sportier N Line version gains red-coloured seats and red accents on the dashboard. Technology upgrades include a standard-fit 4.2-inch LCD driver’s display, USB ports in the front and rear, plus the ability to receive over-the-air updates for the…

HYUNDAI is already committed to further generations of its conventionally powered small hatchbacks, the firm’s European boss has revealed. Both Europe and the UK have looming bans on the sales of combustion-engined vehicles, but Hyundai Europe President & CEO Michael Cole (pictured below) said that new versions of the i10, i20 and i30 are all in the pipeline. “For now, those cars are all still in our plan – even for the next generation,” Cole told us. Hyundai’s preference for short model cycles could mean a new i10 by 2024, a fresh i20 in 2025 and an overhauled i30 up first, perhaps as early as this year. That would conceivably take all three of the cars through to the end of the decade. However, Cole admitted that Hyundai is already…