Mini’s boss has announced that the new three-door model will be accompanied by a five-door Cooper hatchback. Although the new car does not run on electricity, none of the models of the iconic model will be offered with a manual transmission option. Mini CEO Stefanie Wurst, who gave the signals of this change before, has now officially announced: Mini has decided not to produce a manual transmission car.
Mini pulls out of manual transmission
British automaker Mini has confirmed that the five-door version of the iconic Cooper hatchback will continue with a petrol engine only in its newest generation. However, the brand is reportedly ready to drop the manual transmission option in its models. Last week, Mini introduced the next-generation Cooper as three-door only. This car will go on sale in Australia next year.
In the near future, this model will continue to be produced in the UK. In addition, a new three-door petrol Cooper will join, which will be a heavily facelifted version of today’s model instead of an all-new model. As the introduction of the Mini centered around the three-door model, questions arose as to whether the five-door hatchback would continue to be offered alongside its slightly smaller sibling.
Speaking at the IAA Munich Motor Show, Mini boss Stefanie Wurst said the five-door Cooper will return with the model’s performance John Cooper Works (JCW) variants and a convertible version. Ms. Wurst did not specify whether the new five-door model will be petrol or electric, but it is believed to be petrol.
In May 2022, Mini announced that it would pause production of its manual models in early 2023, citing the need to produce more automatic transmission cars due to parts shortages and production slowdowns caused by the war in Ukraine. In February 2023, Mini Australia removed the manual transmission option from its local lineup on 27 of its 43 models through 2022.
The Mini Hatch JCW ‘1to6 Edition’ is expected to be the brand’s last manual transmission car. CEO Stefanie Wurst stated that they will not produce manual vehicles, as well as that the giant manufacturer will participate in electric vehicle races in the future.
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