MINI to electrify New Zealand market in 2020

• First-ever all-electric MINI set for local launch in mid-2020

• 135kW electric motor delivers rapid acceleration and instant throttle response

• Bespoke suspension tuning and low centre of gravity provide go-kart handling

MINI New Zealand has announced it will introduce the all-new MINI Cooper SE Hatch to New Zealand in mid-2020, providing local buyers with virtually silent urban motoring in signature MINI style. 

The news follows the show debut of the MINI Cooper SE Hatch at the IAA Cars 2019 international motor show in Frankfurt am Main. 

“The MINI Cooper SE Hatch marks a new era for our brand in providing our customers with a progressive mobility solution wrapped in a package that is unmistakably MINI in its look, feel and the way it drives,” said Head of MINI New Zealand Chris Roe.

“We look forward to introducing this exciting and game-changing member of the MINI family to the New Zealand market next year.”      

The Cooper SE Hatch is based on the striking three-door conventionally-powered MINI Hatch but with dynamic model-specific accents. 

Its powerful 135kW electric motor endows the car with impressive acceleration and instant throttle response that adds a new dimension to the MINI brand’s fabled go-kart feeling. 

The MINI Cooper SE Hatch races from 0-100 km/h in just 7.3 seconds, while bespoke suspension tuning and a low centre of gravity – thanks to the positioning of the lithium-ion battery in the floor – provide remarkable handling agility. 

The energy required to propel the car with such vigour is sourced from a latest generation lithium-ion battery, which enables a driving range of 235 to 270 kilometres. 

The battery’s location has the additional benefit of ensuring exactly the same amount of space is available for occupants and luggage as in a MINI three-door Hatch powered by a combustion engine. 

Debut of the MINI Cooper SE Hatch at the Frankfurt show coincides with celebrations to mark the British carmaker’s 60thanniversary and the stunning milestone of production reaching 10 million since 1959. 

The MINI Cooper SE Hatch will be built in the UK at MINI Plant Oxford, the birthplace and heart of MINI production. 

MINI New Zealand will announce pricing and specification details of the MINI Cooper SE Hatch closer to launch.  

For further information contact:
Lucy Houghton, Pead PR
Telephone: 09 918 5555
Mobile: 021 132 1190 
E-mail: bmw@peadpr.co.nz