More crossovers join Mini lineup

Mini is bulking up. The maker of microcars is looking to beef up its crossover range while also electrifying its lineup in lockstep with the auto industry, with new developments coming in small crossovers.

Mini plans to introduce two crossover models, including one with a full-electric powertrain.

BMW is addressing an existential crisis for Mini: Customers, especially in the U.S., are ditching small cars for roomier crossovers.

U.S. small-car sales shrank from an 18.2 percent market share five years ago to 9.2 percent through June, according to the Automotive News Data Center, while crossovers rose from 22.4 percent to 34.7 percent over the same period.

Like BMW, Mini will offer an increasingly electrified portfolio while also providing internal-combustion-engine vehicles.

Hardtop: The Mini hardtops and convertibles, updated for the 2019 model year, carry forward to the 2021 model year. The line includes new model variants: the 301-hp John Cooper Works GP and the 2021 Cooper S Sidewalk Edition special-edition convertible. The next-generation two-door Hardtop should arrive in 2021 and the next four-door variant in 2022.

Meanwhile, the Mini Convertible is to receive a redesign in 2023.

Cooper SE Hardtop: The new full-electric Mini went on sale in the U.S. in March. The SE is powered by a 32.6-kWh battery that delivers about 110 miles of range on a full charge.

Clubman: The Clubman was freshened for the 2020 model year and those updates will carry over for the 2021 model year. Also introduced for the model year was a new higher-performance John Cooper Works Clubman with a 301-hp engine. The Clubman is due for a redesign in the second quarter of 2023.

Countryman: The four-door compact crossover gets a freshening this year that includes a redesigned grille, front fascia and bumper trim and updated headlights and taillights. Expect a redesign in 2024.

Electric crossover: Mini could be planning an all-electric compact crossover in cooperation with parent BMW Group's Chinese joint-venture partner, Great Wall, according to AutoCar. The China-made model, a five-door BMW X1-size vehicle, could be badged the Paceman. It is unclear whether this model is destined for the U.S.

Traveller: This new compact crossover will be a global model featuring both electrified drivetrains and fuel-powered engines, according to AutoCar. It would be built on BMW Group's CLAR platform, making it Mini's first rear-wheel-drive model.