THE NEW MINI FAMILY.

Oliver Heilmer, Head of MINI Design, and the new MINI Countryman.

The new MINI family: A first glimpse at the Design highlights.  

You are probably very curious about what the new MINI family will look like. Which features have remained unmistakably MINI, and what changes have been made to the design? To heighten anticipation, we are giving a preview of the new design language and will exclusively reveal four design elements of the upcoming models.

How can traditional brand values and advanced technologies be brought together? The reduced design language of the new MINI family provides a possible answer. It is called “Charismatic Simplicity” and focuses on the essentials. Each new MINI model gains its own strong individual character that is expressed in distinctive design features, while exuding individuality with a clear brand affiliation. Sustainable materials are another crucial part of the new design language.  

“With our new Charismatic Simplicity design language, we are completely rethinking the iconic MINI. Our purist, progressive approach combines the simplicity of functional elements with the emotionality that MINI is renowned for,” says Oliver Heilmer, Head of MINI Design. “We are convinced that the conscious reduction to a few, but expressive elements enable innovations that would have been unthinkable before.” 

The vehicle shown is a development vehicle that is not available for sale.

Oliver Heilmer, Head of MINI Design, and the new MINI Electric.
Oliver Heilmer, Head of MINI Design, and the new electric MINI. The new MINI family brings traditional brand values and advanced technologies together.
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These four design features serve as proof that tradition and progress can go hand in hand:  

A picture showing the modern OLED display.

OLED display: tradition meets state-of-the-art technology. 

Anyone who climbs into a MINI of the new model family will discover it immediately: the round OLED display. It forms the centre of the visually reduced interior and is a reinterpretation of the iconic circular central instrument display which continues the traditional design heritage of the classic Mini. With a diameter of 24 centimetres the OLED display combines the functions of the instrument cluster and the on-board monitor. It features a sleek design and a frameless look. The touch control enables a minimalistic user interface that also controls the integrated infotainment and climate functions. MINI is the world’s first car manufacturer to offer a touch display with a fully usable round surface.  

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The steering wheel: made of a variety of sustainable materials. 

The steering wheel of the next model family also gets a new look. It comes in two versions: a standard one with a two-spoke design and an optional version which adds a distinctive fabric finish as a third element in addition to a sporty geometry. The upcoming MINI model family inspires with its high-quality and sustainable variety of materials and colours as well as innovative textile designs. Vibrant Silver is a recurring colour accent, adding a special touch with its shimmering metallic appearance.   

A detail shot of the MINI driving wheel. A designer showing the details of the driving wheel.  Four variants of the driving wheel on display.
A detail shot of the seats.
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The seats: reinterpretation of classic style elements. 

Another eye-catcher in the vehicles of the new MINI family is the design of the seats. The covers come with a fresh combination of new colours and patterns with classic style elements. One example for this is a modern interpretation of the houndstooth pattern which builds a bridge from the past to the future. Details such as the laminated seat side panels give the interior a highly valuable look. For the first time, the armrests are integrated into the seats which also contributes to a homely atmosphere of the interior.   

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The rims: promoting dimensions and aerodynamics. 

The design of the light-alloy wheels also follows the principle of Charismatic Simplicity. Characteristic is their graphic design coined by strong colour contrasts. This creates an illusion of size, which is further emphasised by the outward-pointing spokes. The pared-back, two-dimensional wheel design contributes to improved aerodynamic qualities and increased range with its somewhat compact, two-dimensional design. Ready to roll?  

These are the first four design features we are revealing here. But you can be sure there's more to come!  

Oliver Heilmer, Head of MINI design, showing the rims. Four different rims on display.
Two camouflaged MINIs of the new family: left the new MINI Countryman, right the MINI Electric.
The design language of the new MINI family follows the principle of “Charismatic Simplicity” which focuses on the essentials. As we see here, each new MINI model gains its own strong individual character that is expressed in distinctive design features, while exuding individuality with a clear brand affiliation.