Mini’s boss has confirmed that a five-door Cooper hatchback will arrive alongside the new three-door model. Although the new car will not be electrically powered, none of the iconic model’s variants will be offered with a manual transmission. Mini CEO Stefanie Wurst, who had previously signaled this change, has now officially announced it: Mini has decided not to produce cars with manual transmission.
Mini is giving up on the manual transmission
British automaker Mini has confirmed that the latest generation of the five-door version of its iconic Cooper hatchback will continue with a gasoline-only engine. However, the brand is reportedly ready to drop the manual transmission option on its models. Last week, Mini unveiled the next-generation Cooper with only three doors. This car will go on sale in Australia next year.
Then, in the near future, this model will continue to be produced in the UK. It will also be joined by a new three-door petrol Cooper, which will be a heavily facelifted version of the current model rather than a completely new model. While Mini’s presentation centered around the three-door model, questions have been raised about whether the five-door hatchback will 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 alongside the model’s performance John Cooper Works (JCW) variants and a convertible version. Ms. Wurst did not specify whether the new five-door will be gasoline or electric, but it is almost certain to be gasoline.
In May 2022, Mini announced that it would pause production of its manual models in early 2023, citing the need to build 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 and that the giant manufacturer will participate in electric vehicle races in the future.
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