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2020 Mini Countryman gains discounted Oxford Edition, program opens up to everybody

Mini is extending the Oxford Edition program to the 2020 Countryman and making all Oxford Edition pricing available to the public at large. Previously, Mini only offered the Oxford Edition pricing to recent college grads, graduate students and active and recently retired military personnel. It was also limited to the two-door and four-door Hardtops. Similar to the excellent value added by the Hardtops, the Countryman also adds a fleet of standard equipment for a discounted price. The base price of a Countryman is $29,750, including the $850 destination charge. A Countryman Oxford Edition starts at $26,750, representing a $3,000 discount off the bat. However, Mini throws in a bunch of equipment from the mid-level Signature trim that makes this an even tastier dish. You get 18-inch wheels, heated front seats, automatic climate control, an anthracite headliner and additional paint color options. Mini says that those added options represent $5,500 worth of added value over a base Countryman. Those up north will also be glad to hear that Mini is offering the same deal for the Countryman ALL4 with all-wheel drive. Simply add $2,000 to the front-drive model, and you’re left with a price of $28,750 — all the same equipment as the front-drive car is onboard. The Countryman was a rather pricey proposition before, but this makes it much more appealing. WeÂ’ll note that this deal is being offered on 2020 Countrymans, so the dual-clutch automatic transmission is the only option. 2021 Minis are said to be regaining three-pedal options, but Mini hasnÂ’t confirmed manual transmission offerings for the Countryman or Clubman yet. 2020 Countryman Oxford Editions will begin arriving at dealerships in “limited numbers” starting in July. Pricing for the 2021 Cooper Hardtop is also available now. Thankfully, itÂ’s no more expensive than it was before, with the two-door slotting in at $20,600. A four-door is $1,000 more at $21,600. You can read our thoughts on the package in our Oxford Edition review here. 2019 Mini Oxford Edition View 6 Photos

BMW seeks partners for electric Mini, could make it an all-EV brand

LOS ANGELES — Germany's BMW is talking with other automakers "around the world" to try to find partners to lower the cost of electrifying its future Mini small cars, management board member Peter Schwarzenbauer told Reuters. "We are talking to many OEMs (manufacturers) around the world, not only in China, (about) how to electrify smaller cars," Schwarzenbauer said. "There's no final conclusion on it." Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor said last month it was discussing a possible venture to build Mini vehicles in China. BMW currently does not build Mini vehicles outside Europe. Schwarzenbauer declined to discuss the Great Wall situation, saying "this was speculation." However, he said building smaller electric cars was challenging, not only because of the financial costs, but also the engineering problem of fitting batteries with sufficient range into a smaller vehicle package. BMW has worked with rivals before to share the costs of clean vehicle technology. The automaker has a partnership with Toyota to develop fuel cell vehicles. BMW has said it plans to launch a new, electric Mini model in 2019. Eventually, Mini could become an entirely electric brand aimed at urban consumers, Schwarzenbauer said. Mini sales in the United States have fallen 10 percent through the first 10 months of this year, as demand for many smaller cars has waned in favor of sport-utility vehicles and trucks. "It's really only in the U.S. where we are facing this with Mini," Schwarzenbauer said. BMW will not try to reverse that trend by adding larger SUVs to the Mini lineup, Schwarzenbauer said. Instead, he said, "the way for Mini in the U.S. is ... building the Mini brand in the direction of the electric urban mobility company." On a separate issue, Schwarzenbauer said BMW intended to offer a self-driving car planned to debut in 2021 at a price that could be below $100,000. The iNEXT model, which BMW previewed earlier this year, will be offered to individuals, ride services fleets and put into service in BMW fleets, Schwarzenbauer said. "By 2021, you will have a lot of people who want to own this car," he said. "It will be a normal price. We are thinking of scaling this. To bring a $150,000 electric car is nice, but it will not really scale." When it launches, the iNEXT may not be offered with complete, so-called Level 5, autonomy because the regulatory and legal frameworks for such a vehicle likely won't be in place, Schwarzenbauer said.

Mini to introduce all-wheel-drive Clubman

The latest Mini Clubman shows how the diminutive brand will go in a larger, more utilitarian direction in the future. The next step might make the wagon an even more versatile option for buyers. A rumor from MotoringFile that cites "sources familiar with the plans" claims that the vehicle will get the automaker's next-gen All4 all-wheel-drive system as soon as spring 2016. Allegedly the all-wheel-drive system derives from the setup that's available on the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, which shares the Mini's UKL platform. The layout uses a multiple-disk clutch at the rear axle to manage power to the back wheels and can route up to 100 percent of the grunt to the tail in a pinch. When extra traction isn't needed there, power goes exclusively to the front. The All4 system will allegedly be available on both the Clubman Cooper and Cooper S models, and MotoringFile estimates the cost of ticking the option box at around $1,500. After introducing the tech on the standard versions, a hotter John Cooper Works model capable of powering all of its wheels will also reportedly begin production around next November. Mini will reportedly also offer this all-wheel-drive tech in the next-generation Countryman. The vehicle will use the UKL platform like the rest of the brand's lineup, but the crossover will grow even larger to look more off-road ready, according to rumors. We reached out to Mini USA spokesperson Mariella Kapsaskis, who says "she can't confirm anything officially about an all-wheel drive Clubman or JCW variant." Related Video: