The rounded center touchscreen is still there.
The gauge cluster on the other hand is gone.
Mini has shown the interior of the Cooper Electric.
Mini is continuing its gradual shift towards electric propulsion. In fact, the British division has released the first images of the interior of the future Cooper Electric.
At first glance, the dashboard is decidedly more streamlined than that of the current generation. On the other hand, there are the usual elements, such as the circular central touchscreen for example. However, unlike the outgoing version, the latter is of the “floating” type. Beneath the central display, traditional buttons recall the more modest origins of this world-renowned city car.
The interior of the new Mini Cooper Electric | Photo: Mini.
Further forward, in front of the driver and his sporty steering wheel, a small screen lifts to act as a head-up display. And as this is an electric variant, the gearshift lever has been positioned to the right of the steering wheel on the steering column. There’s more space in the center console, where only two cups can fit.
The absence of a gauge cluster behind the steering wheel also contributes to the purification of the cabin, a formula that is strangely close to the original Mini with its speedometer in the middle and this row of buttons. Admittedly, the electric Cooper’s multifunction steering wheel is more complex than that of the original Cooper, but these are the only major differences between the two models separated by more than 60 years of history.
For this new model, expected next year, Mini is also preparing the integration of an immersive experience with new animations and projections.
This second-generation electric Cooper will be assembled in China on a new EV dedicated front-wheel-drive platform. By contrast, the next gasoline-powered Mini Cooper will be similar in design, without using the same architecture, and will be assembled at the Oxford plant in England. Incidentally, Mini has already revealed images of this future Cooper, the cute little car that doesn’t stray too far from its current design.
