Volvo EX30 and BYD Atto 3 get some strong competition! All-new 2024 Mini Countryman electric car breaks cover at last as the small EV SUV wars heat up

The much-anticipated Mini Countryman Electric has just had its covers pulled off it in Munich – and BMW is expected to pull no punches when it comes to pricing and positioning.

Confirmed for Australia sometime early in the third quarter of next year (meaning July or August, 2024), this third-generation version is the first to go full-battery electric vehicle (EV).

And, unlike the very closely-related Mini Cooper Electric that also debuted today, the Countryman Electric will be made in Germany alongside its BMW iX1 cousin.

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So, why is this relevant?

If Mini is able to price the Countryman Electric competitively, it could be very bad news for the likes of the promising new Volvo EX30 that kicks off from $59,990 (before on-road costs), as well as the hugely popular BYD Atto 3, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and coming Kia EV5.

The much-anticipated Mini Countryman Electric has just had its covers pulled off it in Munich

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BMW is expected to pull no punches when it comes to pricing and positioning.

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The Countryman Electric will be made in China, as part of BMW’s joint-venture with Great Wall Motors (GWM).

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Of course, it's too early for BMW Australia to announce pricing and specification details, but it has big plans for the Countryman Electric in the burgeoning EV market in this country. After all, the existing F60 launched in 2017 also happens to be the brand's second most popular model, after the hatch (which will be renamed Cooper across the board).

The Countryman Electric you're looking at will also be released later on in internal combustion engine (ICE) guises, using the transverse-engine architecture used by today's BMW X1 and others. That's derived from the existing UKL1 platform.

As with the new Mini Cooper Electric, the Countryman Electric gains smart woven textile surfaces for its minimalist dash.

What are the other changes then?

The new model makes an even greater mockery of its name by being larger in every dimension.

Not much info has been divulged just yet, but BMW says that the Countryman Electric is a huge 60mm taller than before, as well as 130mm longer. This pays dividends in cabin space, aided by the squarer overall shape, removal of the gear lever from between the front occupants and new slimline seating front and rear that are less bulky than before.

Being substantially bigger means it's also heavier, so the electric motor fitted in the base Countryman E has a 66.5kWh battery and makes 150kW of power and 230Nm of torque, while a twin-motor version known as ALL4 (like before) generates 230kW and 494Nm. This cuts three seconds off the 0-100km/h time, to 5.6s. WLTP figures are 462km in the E and 433km in the SE ALL4.

As with the new Mini Cooper Electric, the Countryman Electric gains smart woven textile surfaces for its minimalist dash, along with a new operating system that uses ‘Hey, Mini!' voice control within a central OLED display. Compared to the hatch, the SUV has vertical air vents and a few other detailed differences to set them apart inside.

BMW is saving a lot of the new Countryman Electric's other big reveals for later on, so stay tuned to learn what these may be.

BMW says that the Countryman Electric is a huge 60mm taller than before, as well as 130mm longer.

But, in the meantime, we're expecting an EV price war, because if Volvo can position its (also) Chinese-made compact-SUV EV EX30 from under $60K, then that must surely be the benchmark BMW can work towards too.

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